Armored Core: Black Raven
by Arbitor N Caelum
Summary: In the distant future, the world is building itself back up after constant wars. A particular group of wars, the Tesla Wars, lead to the creation of seven massive Tesla Towers along with hundreds of smaller towers that provide a source of free power across the world. In the new world, machines piloted by humans, Armored Cores, fight in massive domed arenas for sport.
1. Prologue

Preface (Recently Added)

The purpose of was twofold. To write, and finish, a book about Armored Core. And to provide a benchmark, to see where I am with my writing. Immediately after I finished and uploaded this, I went to work learning more about how to improve my writing. Looking at this now, it's bad but not lost. I plan on coming back and revising the book later on before moving on to the second. But it will be a while before I do that since I'm working on another non-fanfiction book. I'll probably revise this as I work on that.

Prologue

The flames danced in the air as if celebrating the destruction that had created them. Broken metal lay scattered across the ground. Voices of men and women echoed through the air. It was dark but the light from the false moon illuminated the ruined city beneath the dome.  
Men and women dressed in uniforms scurried from one place to another. They were panicking. Something like this had never happened before. Vehicles came on to the battlefield, unloading crews and their equipment. The crew managers were shouting orders to their workers as they frantically attempted to do... something.

One of the crews had gathered at a large piece of metal. They used blowtorches to create openings in the metal. After a few minutes, they had created a large hole and from that hole they pulled out a young man. He wore a half a helmet and a form-fitted black pilot's suit. At least, it would have been black if it were not stained dark red with blood. The crew pulled him out and signaled another crew, a medical crew, to assist them. The medical crew put the injured pilot on a stretcher. The kept him on his stomach due to the large piece of metal protruding from his lower back. The medical crew moved very slowly, not daring to remove or even touch the metal without the proper equipment.  
Similar scenes played out in four other locations nearby. One crew pulled another bloody pilot out from flaming wreckage and found that his arm had been mangled beyond recognition. A second crew carried a screaming woman whose bloody eyes were being bandaged as she was moved. From a third wreck, a crew pulled out an unconscious man who had many broken and shattered bones. A woman had pulled herself from her machine in the last wreck. She sat on the ground in a fetal position, crying as she held herself tight.

Further from the scene, three machines, Armored Cores, stood. Their shadows were cast on the ground thanks to the flames from the wrecks of the other five ACs. The three machines had not a single scratch on them and no one would ever suspect that they had caused the destruction whose aftermath was being witnessed by people across the world. The ACs stood still but their shadows danced on the ground, like demons celebrating their triumph.  
Around the world, people watched their television screens on the edge of their seats and listened to their radios with their ears close to the speakers. They were waiting for the silence to break. Eventually it did. "The battle has ended," said a voice filled with awe and disbelief, "team Dread Scythe... has defeated the champs...".


	2. Chapter 1-1

**Act I**

 **Chapter 1-1**

 **Damages Part I**

Week 23 - Day 1

Cael was tired. Sweat dripping from his forehead was beginning to get in his eyes and he was panting. Yes, Cael was tired, understandably so. He had just spent the last hour supporting his entire body weight with his arms while he attempted to get his legs to move on their own. Two men stood nearby watching Cael as he struggled, talking in hushed tones. "It's goin' on two years now,"said one of the men, "Doctor Jones only sends me people that should be able to walk after ample therapy but Cael hasn't made any progress at all."

"So ya don't think he'll be able to walk again?" the other asked.

"He hasn't even regained feeling in them yet. I think it's going to take more time, Mr. Clark...".

Mr. Clark let out a heavy sigh. By the time they had finished talking, Cael had tired himself out completely and sat on the floor of the physical therapy room. Mr. Clark helped Cael into his wheelchair and they departed the physical therapy center in Mr. Clark's car. The two were silent as they drove through the streets of Circle City. "Did ya know," Mr. Clark said, trying to break the silence, "Circle City used to be called Hartford 200 years ago, way back before the Tesla Wars...". Cael didn't respond. He sat silent staring out the car window. Mr. Clark glanced at him through the rearview mirror and he realized that what Cael was staring at was the domed arena where AC battles took place. Where Cael and the other AC pilots of team Black Raven had their careers cut short.

"Back when the early version of the arena was built, people started rebuildin' closer to the arena. After a while, people realized they were buildin' 'round the arena, made the city look like a giant circle...". Cael still didn't respond. When they were out of the city and back at Cael's studio apartment, Mr. Clark helped Cael inside. When Cael had gotten settled in, Mr. Clark prepared to leave. He was about to open the front door when he stopped. He wanted to say something, anything, that would help Cael but he had no words. "Take care o' ya'self kid," he said as he opened the door, "I'll be back later this week to check in on ya,". He closed the door behind him, made his way to his car and drove back towards the city.

Cael flipped through the channels, trying to find something to watch. Eventually he stopped on a news station. The were reporting on a story about the destruction of a town in some obscure part of Anatolia. Apparently, 20 years ago, a conflict had erupted between the newly established government and a terrorist group. The town had become a battlefield and many people were killed in the crossfire. Cael changed the channel again, this time coming to the Armored Core Fighting League's channel and a celebration was taking place. Team Dread Scythe had just been crowned the new ACFL champions and were being awarded their trophy. Reporters had gathered aound the team and were bombarding the three pilots with questions. "How does it feel to be the new champions?" one reporter asked.

Solomon, Dread Scythe's team captain was the one who responded. "It's quite the feeling," he said, moving a strand of his long blonde hair from in front of his blue eyes, "There's honestly no feeling like it... but if ever there was a good feeling, it would undoubtedly be this one."

Reporters scrambled to ask their questions and have them answered. One stood out among the rest and many of the other reporters stopped asking their questions to hear it answered. "Did the new safety regulations hamper your fighting in anyway?" a reporter asked, "As you know they were made in response to the injuries you and your team caused two years ago when you fought Black Raven."

"The new safety regulations are strict," Solomon begain, taking a brief pause to collect his thoughts, "but I wouldn't say they're strict enough to drastically alter how we fight. It was tougher on our mechanics because they're the ones who had to ensure that our ACs were up to the new safety standards."

"Have you heard from any of the members of Black Raven? Have you spoken to any of them since the exhibition two years ago?" another reporter asked.

"No, we have not spoken to any of their pilots. They have requested their privacy and we have and intend to honor their wishes. We ask that others do so as well."

"What're your thoughts on Black Raven's captain and the fight you had with him during that exhibition?"

"Cael Nox...? I think that Cael Nox is an excellent pilot but his overconfidence led him and his teammates to underestimate us. Unfortunately, we were out to prove something that day and it felt like neither he nor his teammates were fighting us seriously and they got hurt as a result..."

Cael turned the TV off, throwing the remote on the floor. He sat in the dark, looking at nothing...


	3. Chapter 1-2

**Act I**

 **Chapter 1-2**

 **Damages Part II**

Week 23 - Day 2

"Noland," called the voice of Mr. Clark over an audio call in the AC's cockpit, "how's the Black Wolf's new cockpit suitin' ya?"

"Horribly." Noland replied. "Switching between the sticks isn't exactly ideal in the middle of firefights...".

"You'll get use to it."

"That's what you said about the last one..."

"Stop ya complainin' an' run it back...".

Noland input a command on the keypad and the screens of his viewing monitors lit up. He took his helmet off and sat it in his lap. His curly black hair had become straightened from all the sweating he was doing. "Starting simulator battle program 105." he said. The screens of the monitors all began to show the Circle City Arena's battlefield. On the screen directly in front him was the image of another AC. "Beginning battle," he said as he took hold of one of the two control sticks. He pushed the stick forward and his AC dashed towards the simulated enemy AC.

Noland's enemy was a rather standard bipedal AC. It held a rifle and shield in it's hands. Mounted on it's back next to the cockpit were a missile launcher and detection radar. When Noland had closed the distance between them, the enemy AC charged straight at him, raising it's shield and firing it's rifle. Noland raised his AC's shield to block the incoming rifle rounds, then he fired back with his rifle. Instead of targeting the enemy AC however, Noland attacked the base of a ruined wall. The wall collapsed from Noland's shots and fell on the approaching enemy AC, stirring up dust clouds when it made contact. The enemy AC had not been disabled by the wall and continued to moved forward towards Noland. Noland backed away from the still approaching enemy while he fired his rifle to try and slow his enemy's speeding approach. The enemy AC blocked Noland's shots and counterattacked with a barrage of missiles. Noland shot some of the missiles down and avoided the rest by moving his AC into a ruined building just before the missiles hit him.

"Ya reaction time's slow. Pick up the pace." Mr. Clark scolded.

"I'm trying coach," Noland responded, "I'd like to see you piloting with one arm."

"Focus, Nol..."

The enemy AC burst into the building behind Noland, attacking from behind. Noland turned his AC towards his foe and blocked incoming rifle rounds as he backed away from his quarry. As he moved backward, he fired two land mines from the launchers on his AC's legs. The enemy AC didn't pursue him but instead retreated deeper into the ruined building's interior. Noland was surprised by this. He was expecting the enemy AC to come after him and set off the land mines filled with adhesives. "Don't underestimate ya opponenent just 'cause it's a program," Coach Clark scolded. "It's patterns are based off'o' Arthur Penn's data."

"Arthur Penn..." Noland thought aloud. "You mean Alessia's dad?"

"Yes, one of the Vertex pilots..."

Noland's face expressed the shock he was feeling. He thought this was just another programmed A.I. but according to Coach Clark, it was an A.I. based on one of the greatest pilots in all of mech fighting history. Noland's body tensed up. His eyes scanned every inch of the monitors, searching for the Arthur Penn A.I. but they saw no sign of him. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. He turned his AC 180 degrees but he was too slow. A rifle round hit the joint of his AC's leg and his AC was staggered. Noland launched smoke missles from the launchers on his AC's shoulders. He fired them manually at the ground to create a smokescreen. He backed away again, firing into the smoke and as he backed out of the smokescreen he was blindsided by the Arthur Penn A.I.. His AC was disabled briefly after and the simulation had ended in Noland's defeat.

Noland exited the Black Wolf's cockpit and climbed down from his AC. He made his way to the locker room where he grabbed a bottle of water and a towel. He threw his helmet in the locker and began chugging the water. Coach Clark entered the locker room and sat on the bench next to Noland. The two were silent for a moment as Noland wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I thought my arm was still there," Noland said. He was referring to the moment when he first realized the Arthur A.I. had flanked him. He had reached for his AC's left arm control stick with an arm that no longer had a hand. Had he had his other hand, he would have been able to block the incoming rounds with his AC's shield. "Instinct...".

"I know... ain't nothin' harder than learnin' to fight different than what ya were taught..." Coach Clark said. Noland sat on the bench, his head lowered and sighed.

"How're we gonna do this?" Noland asked. "We missed a whole season and I'm the only pilot left."

"We have a whole off season to find that answer."

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothin'. The situation's out of our hands right now. All we can do is wither the storm an' hope it doe'n't blow us away..."

Noland sighed as he wiped some more sweat from his brow. Coach stood up and began to walk, patting Noland on the shoulder when he walked pass him. "Ya worked hard today. Go home an' get some rest," Coach Clark said as he exited the locker room.

Noland got out of his pilot's suit and into some sweat pants and a T-shirt. He made his way out of the locker room and through the arena, greeting familiar faces along the way. He took a bus to his apartment building not far from the arena. There were a handful of people who had recognized him as a Black Raven pilot and asked him to give his autograph, which he gave. When he got home, he took a shower, put on some new clothes and left out again. This time he took a bus to Circle Central Hospital. He spoke to the receptionist and made his way to the elevators, going up two floors.

"Noland," a woman greeted Noland as he walked into her hospital room.

"Hi, mom." Noland greeted her back. He walked over to her and hugged her, afterwards sitting in the chair next to her bed.

"How's your arm?" she asked.

"It's fine mom. You worry about me too much, you're the one in the hospital bed."

"Oh, you're the one who's worrying too much."

They laughed at themselves. "How're you're friends?" Noland's mother asked when their laughing ended. Noland sighed.

"I haven't heard from any of them in a while..." Noland admitted.

"Oh... well I'm sure they're all alright. It just takes time for wounds to heal..."

"Yeah..."

"Don't let it get you down... Just keep your chin up and things will get better."

His mother's words of encouragement put a smile on his face. "Sooo...," Noland's mother began, "have you found a girlfriend yet...?"

"Mom...!"


	4. Chapter 1-3

**Act I**

 **Chapter 1-3**

 **Damages Part III**

Week 23 - Day 3

The sounds of busy workers and machinery echoed throughout the factory. Repurposed Mechanized Troopers, MTs, were lined up along the factory floor. Conveyor belts with smaller MT parts stayed in constant motion. Most of the workers were performing their duties repairing MTs but a noticeable crowd had amassed around an MT. Some of the workers in the crowd where talking in frantic and hushed tones. The MT made a boom sound and the crowd went silent and took a few steps back. The MT made a loud whirring sound, and the crowd applauded. The team who was working on the MT waved to their co-workers. "That was close," one of them said to another, "Alex, you okay?"

"Yeah," Alex said, "but this is getting old. Everyone knows the old generators from the Peacekeepers are unstable. This is the third time this year one of them almost blew up..."

""Yeah, well..." said a voice from the factory floor, "old construction companies're where we get most o' our business these days... and most o' those still use the older MT models that're made from Peacekeeper tech."

"Joe, you gotta stop accepting orders like this. One of these days, one of these things is gonna blow." Alex said.

"That day wasn't today though was it," Joe said. "Now... you guys go on. We got way more work to do...".

Alex and the other workers who had helped fix the MT went about their business, they usually only ever worked together when an MT's generator was on the verge of overloading or when they needed to have an impossible order fixed up in a short amount of time. Alex attended to several other MTs afterwards, helping his co-workers finish their tasks. When Alex's shift had ended, he went to the upstairs apartment where he had been living for nine years. Alex took a shower, put on some clean clothes and immediately went to work fixing some small MT part components he kept on the floor on a mat next to his bed in his bedroom.

The front door of the apartment opened then slammed back shut. "Got some grub," Joe's voice said. Joe walked into Alex's room where Alex was still fixing an MT part component and threw the bag of food on the floor beside Alex. "Didn't I tell ya 'bout not bringin' your work home with ya?"

"Well my home is at work so technically it's not work, just homework," Alex joked as he continued fixing the component. "Have you seen my wrench? Not the plain silver one but the one with the red grip?"

"Probably left it down in the factory."

"Oh... I'll just grab it later," Alex said as he put down the component, grabbed the bag of food and jumped on his bed. Alex ate his burgers while Joe looked around the apartment. Joe came to a table with a lamp and a framed photo sitting on it.

"Ya know... I miss your dad..." Joe said, "miss him everyday..."

"And you let me know... everyday..." Alex said back.

"Good man... he was a good man..." Joe said, picking up the photo to get a closer look at it. It was a picture of himself, Alex's father, a young Alex and Alex's mother. "You remember when we took this photo?".

Alex stopped eating. He sat still on his bed looking out the window across from his bed. "I was a kid... you don't actually expect me to remember that do you?," Alex said.

"You were pretty young...," Joe said.

"By the way, I meant to ask you why you're accepting so many orders. You do know we're getting swamped on the floor right?"

Joe sighed as he put the photo back on the table. "That's a long explanation for another day..." he said as he walked to the front door. "I'm headin' home. It's gettin' late. Make sure you're at work on time."

Alex finished eating then went back to working on thee part components on the floor.


	5. Chapter 1-4

**Act I**

 **Chapter 1-4**

 **Damages Part IV**

Week 23 - Day 4

A loud beeping sound woke the sleeping woman, letting her know that it was 1 pm. The woman heard it but she tried to ignore the noise. She turned away from the alarm clock that sat on a table near her head. A few seconds later, when she could no longer ignore it, she quickly turned back around and slammed her hand on the snooze button. She groaned, then reached for one of the bottles on the floor. When she realized that they were empty, she let out another groan and moved her head over the side of the bed so she could see if they were actually all empty. It was while looking down at the floor that she saw a familiar face. It was the face of a young woman with dark brown eyes and curly brown hair she once knew. It was a photo on an AC pilot's license. The name on the license said "Vai Styrke".

"Vai... Styrke," Vai mumbled, "that bitch is dead."

Vai dragged herself out of bed and made her way through her messy apartment to get to her kitchen. She searched the kitchen until she found a bottle with some alcohol in it. She didn't drink it immediately but brought it with her to the bathroom. She removed her clothes, turned on the shower and got in. The cold water woke her up and kept her awake. Every minute or so she took a sip from the bottle.

After she had finished showering, Vai put on some clean clothes, brushed her teeth, grabbed her wallet and walked out her front door. Once outside her apartment's building, she walked to the nearest bus stop and waited for ten minutes. When the bus had come, she got on and paid the bus fair. She took a seat at the back of the bus and waited. Vai watched the old buildings of the city quickly pass by. Many of them were being renovated and restored. The Tesla Wars ended three generations ago but not all the cities had been fully rebuilt due to the lack of government organization. Circle City, built on the bones of what was once Hartford City, had been built back up thanks to the AC arena but the further away from the arena you traveled the more you could see the lingering effects of the wars.

Vai's bus ride lasted a little less than half an hour. When she had arrived at her stop, the New Cheshire Correctional Institution, she got off and entered the prison. Vai was escorted to the visiting area where she was instructed to stand in line, although she didn't need instruction because she had gone through this several times throughout her life since she was ten. She stood in a short line for about ten minutes. When she got to the head of the line, guards checked her for weapons and contraband, then waved her in. Vai scanned the room until she saw the person she was looking for. A man with brown eyes, graying brown hair and a muscular build. Vai went over to the table where the man sat. "Charles..." Vai said, her tone serious as she stood at the table.

"I liked it better when you called me dad." Charles said sarcastically.

"I liked it better when you were actually around to be my dad... but things change. Get over it."

"Things do change... but some things don't. I'm still your dad... You gonna sit?" Charles said, gesturing for her to sit. Vai sat at the table across from her dad and they said nothing to one another for the first minute. "You know, it'd be nice if you visited me more than once a year".

"It'd be nice if I didn't have to visit you at all..."

Vai's words brought brought the silence back. A moment passed before Charles spoke again. "How've you been?"

"How do you think?"

"I don't, which is why I'm in here, remember?"

"I'm fine," Vai sighed.

"Really? A little birdie told me you're an alcoholic and that you quit the team..." Charles said sarcastically.

"You can take that little birdie and shove him up you ass," Vai said angrily, "It's none of your business."

"It is my business when my daughter starts going down the wrong path-"

"That's rich, coming from you of all people-"

"Vai, listen to me...! Quitting the team, not cooperating with your psychiatrist, drinking... I may not be the an expert on bad life choices, but I don't need to be an expert to see that this doesn't end well for you..."

"You've been talking to Lewis...!"

"He came to see me a few months ago. A while after your last visit... and you didn't think to mention what happened to you?"

"If I did, what would you have done, huh? Sit in your cell or sit in your cell? You can't do anything for me. You're in jail for fuck's sake!"

"Dam' it Vai...! A parent has the right to know if their kid's alright or not...!"

Vai stood up, about to walk away. Charles quickly stood and grabbed her wrist. When he saw the guards tense up, he let go of her wrist. "Wait...! Wait," he pleaded, "I won't lecture you about it... just, just..."

Vai groaned and sat back at the table. "How's your mother?" Charles asked.

"Haven't heard from her in months." Vai replied.

"I told you you had to keep an eye on her..."

"I have enough on my plate as is. I can do without babysitting a drug addict.."

Charles sighed. He moved his across his face, eventually letting his head rest in his hand. "Vai...," he said, "please... find your mother, okay?"

A buzzer sounded, signaling that visiting hours were almost done. The guards were beginning to escort visitors out and prisoners back into their cells. "I'm not making any promises," Vai said as a guard walked over to her. Vai stood and left before the guard could instruct her. Charles was led back to his cell and Vai got onto the visitor's bus the prison kept to take visitors back into the city. Thirty minutes later, Vai was back at her apartment.


	6. Chapter 1-5

**Act I**

 **Chapter 1-5**

 **Damages Part V**

Week 23 - Day 5

Alessia stood on the balcony of her grandparent's villa. It was a windy day and the wind felt good on her skin. It howled at her and the sound it made seemed to remind her of herself. It reminded her of her own cries from two years ago. She felt the warmth of the sun's light and thought of the flames that spewed from her AC. The only thing the wind and sun did not remind her of, was her blindness. She had been blind for a year and a half when shards of metal stabbed into her eyes. If not for her wealthy, well connected grandparents, she would still be blind.

"Alessia, dear...!" Alessia's grandmother called to her, "breakfast is ready dear,"

"Coming!" Alessia shouted back. She left her room on the second floor of the villa and headed to the kitchen downstairs. She smelled the scent of pancakes, bacon and eggs while she walked down the stairs. When she got to the kitchen, she saw her grandmother moving about the kitchen preparing breakfast while her grandfather was sitting at the kitchen table reading and writing things related to his business.

"Good morning," Alessia's grandmother said, greeting her granddaughter.

"Morning," Alessia quickly responded. Alessia grabbed a plate from the dishwasher and tried grabbing some pancakes from the plate where her grandmother piled them.

"Oh," her grandmother said in response to her actions, "Alessia... it's been three months since you bandages were removed. You haven't sat with us for breakfast since then."

"And..." Alessia said, waiting for a question or another statement from her grandmother.

"Well, I just thought that maybe you'd like to eat breakfast with us?"

"Why? If I'm going to sit in silence to eat breakfast I prefer doing it in my bed."

"Well... We can talk about whatever you want."

"Oh, it just so happens there's nothing I wanna talk about."

Alessia put some bacon and eggs on her plate, then fixed a glass of water before going back upstairs to her room. She ate her breakfast in her bed and watched the TV her grandparents had gotten her for her room. She watched several stories on the news channel. Most of it was just propaganda for supporting the United European Nations's increasing rate of invasion of neighboring countries, propaganda that Alessia outright ignored. The news story that did draw her interest were the one about team Dread Scythe coming to France to fight the European AC League champions, team Tri-Seraph, in an exhibition match. Alessia saw the date scheduled for Monday, four days from the current day, and she wore a look of annoyance on her face.

"Damn parties..." she mumbled to herself.

Alessia finished eating her breakfast then took her plate and glass downstairs to wash them. By the time she had finished her grandparents had already fnished their breakfast and was having their maid clean the dishes. The maid offered to clean Alessia's dishes for her but Alessia refused and suggested the maid get a head start on her other duties while Alessia did the dishes. "Oh no dear, I can't let you do that, you're still recovering." the maid said.

"Rita," Alessia said, "that was an order... and after I finished the dishes, I'm coming to help you with your other chores too."

"Your grandparents would fire me if they found out I let you do my work," Rita said.

"Rita, you're the one who took care of me when I couldn't see. I owe you and if my grandparents have a problem with that, I'll just act like a brat 'til they do what I want."

"You're such a sweet girl,"

"Only when I wanna be. Go ahead, I'll finish up here."

Rita left the kitchen to start on her other duties while Alessia finished the dishes. By the time she had finished, her grandparents had already left the villa to go about their business. With her grandparents gone, Alessia helped Rita with chores around the villa.


	7. Chapter 2-1

**Act I**

 **Chapter 2-1**

 **The Offer**

Week 24 - Day 2

Cael had just finished putting on his clothes when he heard knocks on his front door. He wheeled himself to the door and opened it to see Noland standing on the otherside with a bag in his hand. The bag had a strong scent to it and Cael could smell it immediately after opening the door. It took Cael a moment to recognize the scent and he was about to ask what it was when Noland said it before he could get the question out. "Mark's burgers," Noland said. He threw the bag in Cael's lap and Cael motioned for Noland to come in. Cael closed the door when Noland had entered and rolled pass Noland who was looking around.

"I thought Lewis was coming today." Cael said as he began eating the burgers.

"He had to take care of something. "Urgent business" were his exact words." Noland said as he sat on Cael's couch. "Let me use his car though,".

Cael finished eating the burgers and then went back into his room where he dug through his clothes. Noland turned on Cael's TV and flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. When Cael had found what he was looking for, a flash drive, he joined Noland in watching TV. Noland had stopped on one of the news channels and turned up the volume. The top story being reported was about the escalating conflict between the UEN's armed forces and the military of a small nation. The primary focus of the report was on the number of civilian casualties the UEN was suffering from as a result of targeted attacks on civilian populations by the opposing force. Cael noticed that Noland had tensed up a bit while watching the report. "Come on," Cael said, "I got to get to rehab...". Noland turned off the TV then, together with Cael, got in Lewis' car and drove to the hospital.

Noland watched Cael do his excercises for a while. Every now and then Noland assisted the physical therapy coach in motivating Cael to keep pushing. After two hours, Cael had finished his session and Noland drove him home. They didn't talk much during the drive. Noland would try to spark a conversation but Cael wouldn't respond, zoninig out after saying something brief. When they arrived at Cael's apartment, Noland helped Cael out of the car and into the apartment.

"Hold on a sec..." Cael said when he saw Noland leaving.

"What's up?" Noland asked. Cael took the flash drive he had in his pocket and held it out to Noland.

"Here..." he said, waiting for Noland to take it.

"This is..."

"The White Wolf's key."

"... So that's it, huh?" Noland said solemnly. "You're quiting just like that?"

"I don't have my legs, Nol."

"I don't have my arm," Noland said. His voice was sarcastic but grim in tone. "but I'm still piloting the Black Wolf."

After a long pause, Noland took the flash drive from Cael and put it in his pocket. Noland tried to look Cael in the eyes, to figure out what his friend was thinking, but Cael held his head down.

"There are cockpits that let crippled people fight, Cael... You don't don't have to give up piloting just because you're in a wheelchair." Noland said, trying to convince his friend to reconsider. Cael said nothing and continued holding his head down, looking at the floor. Noland sighed as he turned and walked towards the front door. He stood at the door with the White Wolf's key in his hand, staring at it, thinking about what to do. Noland placed the key on the bar counter of Cael's kitchen. "The Cael I know, wouldn't've given up piloting just because he couldn't use his legs..." Noland said. "I don't know what's going on in your head, but if you're not gonna tell me at least tell someone... ".

Cael held his silence as Noland walked out the door, slamming it. Noland walked to the car only realizing how upset he was when he got to his car. He didn't fully understand why he was angry, he just knew that he was angry. He let out a sigh of frustration then got in the car and drove off. Cael heard the engine turn over then Noland driving off but he continued to sit in silence. His eyes were no longer on the floor but the key to the White Wolf Noland had sat on the bar counter. After a few minutes had passed, Cael began to fix himself a cup of instant noodles in the kitchen using his microwave. When they had finished cooking, Cael ate them while watching TV.

When the TV show Cael was watching had finished and Cael had finished eating the noodles, Cael turned off the TV. He wheeled himself to his trash can, put the empty noodle cup in and threw his fork in the sink. That's when he heard a knock at his front door. At first, Cael thought it was Noland again, but the knocking pattern was different than the one Noland always used. "Who is it?" Cael asked, his voice raised so that who ever was on the other side could hear it.

"Cael," a voice shouted from the other side of the door, "Cael Nox?"

"Who is it?" Cael asked again, raising his voice even louder.

"Oh, you don't know me, but I know you!" the voice shouted enthusiastically.

Cael, curious, slowly made his way to the front door. He made sure the chain was on before opening the door slightly. On the other side, Cael saw two men in black suits wearing shades, standing behind a man in a beige striped suit wearing eyeglasses. The man in the beige suit had a dumb smile on his face and waved at Cael when he saw that Cael was examining them.

"Who're you and what do you want?" Cael asked quickly.

"A doctor who'd like a brief moment of your time." the man in the beige suit responded.

"A doctor?" Cael asked himself, shocked by the man's answer. "What's with the goons?"

"Security for me... follow me everywhere I go, unfortunately. Harmless... although they did follow me to the restroom once... that got awkward." the man explained.

Cael looked at the two guards's waists, checking them for weapons and when he saw they had none, he removed the chain and openend the door. He motioned the doctor to enter but held his hand up when the guards attempted to follow. "You two look suspect, you can wait out here." Cael said. The two men looked at one another as if asking each other for permission.

"I'll be brief..." the doctor assured them. Cael closed the door after and locked it. "Can't be too cautious," the doctor joked.

"Why're you here?" Cael asked.

"First a proper introduction. My name is Rickert Vinheim. Dr. Rickert Vinheim." Dr. Vinheim said as he held his hand out for Cael to shake it.

"Cael Nox..." Cael said, shaking the man's hand. "Why're you here?"

"To the point I see! I'd hoped to skirt around that, ease into it... wouldn't seem as outlandish that way but-"

"Why're you here?" Cael asked agin, interupting the man.

"Well, Mr. Nox... I'm here, because there is a chance that I could help you walk again..."

Cael's heart skipped a beat, then started beating quickly. He felt dizzy and the room started spinning, at least, he thought it had. When the shock had worn off and Cael comprehended what Dr. Vinheim had said, Cael laughed to himself.

"I've seen seven different doctors, and six of those doctors have told me I'd never walk again. The seventh told me I'd be able to walk with enough physical rehabilitation... that was over a year ago and I'm still in a wheelchair." Cael said.

"I understand the skepticism but-"

"But nothing. Whatever you're trying to sell, I ain't buying." Cael said angrily as he rolled towards the door. He unlocked it and opened it. "Get out."

Dr. Vinheim, disheartened, walked towards the front door but stopped in front of Cael. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a card. "My card, should you decide to hear me out." he said, placing the card in Cael's lap. "I realize that what I'm saying is outlandish, or may appear to be... but I assure you, this is no trick. It was pleasant, if a bit brief, to meet you Mr. Nox,". Dr. Vinheim and his guards departed and Cael shut the door again. He stared at the card, trying to tell if it was fake, then realized that even if it were fake it wouldn't have mattered. Cael sat in front of his TV, remote in hand but the TV still off. He sat that way, silent, thinking to himself but not really knowing what he was thinking about.


	8. Chapter 2-2

**Act I**

 **Chapter 2-2**

 **Moonlit Night**

Week 24 - Day 2

Noland walked beside the water of the lake, looking straight ahead but not looking at anything. He was lost in his own thoughts, thinking about how Cael tried to give up the flash drive key to his AC. Cael's actions were beginning to make Noland question his own response to losing his arm. When Noland lost his left arm, he didn't give up on being an AC pilot. Instead, Noland began pushing himself to get back to where he was and although he was not there yet, he had never questioned his goal until today. Noland walked for an hour, lost in his thoughts and when his legs tired out, he sat in a large patch of grass facing the lake. Though he had stopped walking, his thoughts were still racing. After a few minutes had gone by and he began to have a headache, Noland lay flat on his back, closing his eyes. His thoughts stopped racing.

When Noland woke, his eyes were immediately drawn to the light of the moon and he was mesmerized by it's light. The once warm air had turned cool and felt better when Noland inhaled it. He lay there, perfectly still, with a feeling of calm washing over him. He lay like that for a moment until he caught a strange scent on the breeze. It was a pleasant scent though he wasn't quite sure what it was. It was at that moment he felt another presence near him and he turned his head towards the scent, looking for the presence he felt. His eyes fell on a young woman who stood at arm's length next to him. She was looking up at the moon. Noland sat up, his eyes on the young woman. The woman's eyes glowed, reflecting the moon's light, as did streaks of her hair. When he realized he was staring at her, he stopped and turned his gaze to the moon. After a minute or so had passed, the young woman spoke. "Did it hurt...?" she asked.

Noland, surprised by the woman breaking the silence, didn't respond immediately. He didn't understand the question or even know if the woman was speaking to him. After he realized she was speaking to him and that she was refering to his lost arm, he answered. "It use to but, not anymore really," he told her.

"Are you a soldier?" she asked.

"Oh, no! I'm an AC pilot. I lost my arm in a match," Noland said. A brief silence took hold. "What're you doin' out here so late?" Noland asked, breaking the silence but the woman didn't answer, she just stood silent and kept staring at the moon so Noland didn't press the question. He sat silently, staring at the moon, trying to understand the woman's fascination with it. Time passed, minutes at a time before the young woman began to walk away from where she was standing and Noland quickly stood up. "My name's Noland," he said, remembering that he had not introduced himself. The young woman ignored it and continued walking towards the road where a black car had just pulled up. The windows were tinted and Noland couldn't see who was inside. When the young woman reached the car, the door opened for her and she climbed inside.

Noland went home to his apartment in the city shortly after that. He climbed straight into his bed and stared at the ceiling. His mind tried to make sense of the encounter that had just taken place.


	9. Chapter 2-3

**Act I**

 **Chapter 2-3**

 **The Villa**

Week 24 - Day 2

The sounds of small groups of people talking could be heard both inside and outside the villa. Well dressed, wealthy people were busy socializing with other well dressed, wealthy people. They talked about various topics like politics, war strategy, business success and business endeavors. Some people talked about less serious topics like food, entertainment, and other activities. Everyone had a smile on their face. Everyone except for Alessia. "Alessia...!" her grandmother's voice called. Alessia sighed. She put a fake smile on her face and then went to where her grandmother was.

"This... is my granddaughter," Alessia's grandmother said, as she pulled Alessia forward to be introduced. "Alessia, meet Connor Brigham. Connor meet Alessia St. Claire."

"A pleasure," Connor said, extending his hand.

"Likewise," Alessia said, shaking his hand.

"Mr. Brigham," Alessia's grandmother said, "is a Lieutenant in the UEN's Joint Military."

"Oh, really...?" Alessia said sarcastically, "What do you think about the UEN's using military force to install themselves in places where the population holds the UEN in not so high regard?"

"Alessia...!" both of Alessia's grandparents exclaimed.

"It's okay," Connor said, "I have a daughter just a little younger than Alessia. To answer your question, Miss St. Claire, if you've ever visited one of the places in question, you'd know that they are chaotic places. No law or order whatsoever. The UEN's methods may seem a bit harsh from an outsider's point of view, but I assure you it's better after we've established order there."

"Well... Mr. Brigham, I have been to one of these "chaotic" places that you speak of. Anatolia. Use to be called Turkey... heard of it?"

"Alessia...! Manners." Alessia's grandfather scolded.

"Sorry..." Alessia apologized, "excuse me...". Alessia left her grandparents and Mr. Day. She grabbed a drink from one of the waiters then made her way to the villa's balcony. She stood on the balcony, looking down at all the guests who socialized around the villa's swimming pool. When they bored her, she looked up to the starlit night sky. She stood there for a while and just stared at the stars.

"Need some company," a man's voice asked from behind her. The man walked up to the balcony's stone railing, standing next to Alessia.

"Good company," Alessia said sarcastically.

"What counts as good company?" the man asked.

"Anyone not at this little gathering..."

"Well you must be horrible company..." the man said jokingly.

"Considering I'm the only one here that doesn't want to be here... I'd say I'm the worst..."

"Noooo... You're not that special," the man said, "it just so happens, that I don't want to be here either."

"Really? Then why are you here?"

"Reasons... business... my wife..."

"Oh really," Alessia said coyly, "don't you think your wife would be angry if she found you out here flirting with another woman?"

"Perhaps... but I'd actually have to be flirting first."

"Touche."

Alessia and the man stood there on the balcony with Alessia looking up at the night sky while the man looked down at the other guests, both silent. Alessia took a quick glance at the man, noticing the man's black hair that framed his face and his clothing, a black suit, similar to what a business man would wear. The man began to turn his head towards Alessia and Alessia quickly diverted her gaze back to the sky. "So... what kind of business are you here for?" Alessia asked.

"That's complicated... in the pre-war world, I would've been considered a stock trader or broker..." the man said. "I buy, sell, and trade depending on what my clients require..."

"Oh," Alessia said, "sounds fairly boring."

"It is," the man said. Both of them laughed when he said it. "What about you," the man asked, "why don't you want to be at such a splendid party?"

"Reasons..." Alessia said sarcastically, imitating the man, "There's this exhibition going on at the Paris Arena... North American champions are fighting the European champions."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. Team Dread Scythe and team Tri-Seraph?"

"You know AC teams?" Alessia said, surprised. "I thought you were a stock trader-broker...?"

"Well I am... my current client is a sponsor of the Anatolia Arena. He wants me to find and obtain a few assets for it's opening in the upcoming season."

"Wow, I thought you said what you did was boring...!" Alessia said. Her face's expression showed how amazed she was with the man.

""Mostly. My client has me purchasing assets from a team Dread Scythe beat-"

"That's a long list," Alessia said, interrupting the man. His last few words drew Alessia's full attention. "What team?".

"I probably shouldn't say. The information hasn't been made public yet..." the man said. When he saw Alessia's stern look he decided to continue speaking. "but the announcement is coming out in a few days so... The team's name is Black Raven."

Alessia's expression became one of dread. She grabbed her drink and drunk it all in one gulp. She sat the empty glass back on the stone railing then ran through the door back into the villa. She made her way to her room which had been one of a few sectioned off areas to keep guests from going into her and her grandparents's rooms. Once there, Alessia shut the door behind her and removed her black dress. She put on some normal clothes, a long sleeved shirt and sweat pants. Then she grabbed her suitcase from beneath her bed and opened it. It was empty.

"Shit..." Alessia said to herself.

Alessia began piling clothes from her dresser and closet on the bed. When all her clothes were on her bed, she began sorting through them. "Alessia," a voice called out from the otherside of her door, "are you in there?". It was Rita.

"Come in," Alessia told her. Rita entered Alessia's room only to be taken by surprise at the mess Alessia was creating.

"Christ, girl...! What are you doing?" Rita asked in shock.

"Packing..." Alessia said as she continued sorting through her clothes. "Trying to at least..."

"Packing...? For what-where are you going?"

"Oh, Rita, could you book a flight to Circle City for me? A morning flight, earliest they have."

"Slow down, Alessia!" Rita said, shutting the door. "Why're you trying to go to Circle City?"

"The team's being disbanded."

"And what're you gonna do about it? Do you have a plan?"

"Thinkin' of one now..."

"Alessia! You're being ridiculous. Your eyes are still healing. You can't just take off on your own."

"I can't just stay here and do nothin' either."

"I'm sorry, Alessia. I have to tell your grandparents."

Alessia stopped sorting through her clothes and turned to face Rita, with a sly smile on her face. She jumped up and hugged Rita. "You're a genius Rita. Could you go get them now and bring them here?"

Rita, was confused but left Alessia's room to do as Alessia requested. Minutes later, Rita returned with both of Alessia's grandparents in tow. Mixed looks of anger and concern adorned their faces. They sent Rita to attend to the guests and closed the door behind her. The three of them, Alessia and her grandparents, stood silent until Alessia sat on her bed. "So..." Alessia said.


	10. Chapter 3

**Act I**

 **Chapter 3**

 **One Week**

Week 24 - Day 2

"What is this nonsense about going to the United States?" Alessia's grandfather asked, his voice loud and stern. Her grandmother wore a worried expression as she took in the site of Alessia's room. Eventually Alessia's grandmother's eyes came to rest on Alessia's suitcase that lay at Alessia's feet, filled with clothes.

"Black Raven is being disbanded," Alessia said, "so I'm going back."

"Alessia, you're still recovering," her grandmother said, "and you shouldn't be dealing with such stressful things right now."

"So what," Alessia asked, standing up, "you want me to do nothing, knowing that my team needs me?"

"Your grandmother is right. All this nonsense will do is hamper your recovery." her grandfather said.

"But being flaunted around a bunch of strangers I don't like will do wonders for my health?" Alessia asked sarcastically.

"This is different, Alessia." her grandmother said.

"Is that what this is about? You not wanting to attend the party?" her grandfather asked.

Alessia shook her head in disappointment and started back packing clothes in her suitcase. "No," she answered, "This isn't about me not wanting to go to your stupid party. It just so happens that it isn't about making money or making other people happy to raise my social status. Don't expect you to understand that though..."

"Alessia Ciara St. Claire," her grandfather's voice thundered, "You're not going to America. End of discussion."

Alessia's grandfather began to leave the room, opening the door but stopped when he heard Alessia speak. "What're you gonna do to stop me?" Alessia had asked, still packing her suitcase. Her grandfather turned back to face Alessia who had gotten another suitcase and was packing it with items.

"Excuse me?" her grandfather said in a silent outrage. Alessia's grandmother was at a loss for words as she witnessed the conflict between her husband and granddaughter.

"You're so use to people doing what you say but I'm not those people. I'm going back to America, regardless of what you say or do. So unless you're going to get Mr. Brigham and his military buddies to lock me up, you can't stop me."

The room had become silent and the guests had become silent. They had heard Alessia through the now open door. Alessia faced her grandfather and looked him in the eye. The three of them stood quiet and the tension that hadn't been there before was now dying down in the silence. The guests had began whispering and some were leaving. The party had come to an abrupt end.

"I think it would be best if we discussed this in the morning..." Alessia's grandmother said. Alessia and her grandfather agreed. Her grandparents left the room and Alessia lay on her bed on top of her clothes. After some time had passed and she felt that all of the guests had departed, Alessia got up to assist Rita with cleaning. Alessia's grandparents had already gone to bed when Alessia began helping Rita and neither of them spoke while they worked, just cleaned. When they had finished they went to their rooms where they stayed for the rest of the night.

When morning came and her alarm clock rang, Alessia got out of bed. She headed downstairs to the kitchen where her grandparents were waiting, seated at kitchen table. There was no food on the table, no dishes were in the sink, and there were no scents of a breakfast at all. Alessia walked over to the dishwasher and got a clean glass that she filled with water from the tap and drank it at the sink. Alessia's grandfather sighed but Alessia ignored the sigh, continuing to drink her water at the sink.

"Alessia..." her grandmother called. Alessia drank the rest of her water and placed the empty glass in the sink. She turned to face her grandparents and waited for them to say what they were going to say. Her grandfather motioned for her to have a seat at the table but Alessia replied with a quick, "I'll stand,".

"We..." Alessia's grandfather began, pausing to find the words, "talked it over last night, your grandmother and I..."

"And...?" Alessia asked, matter-of-factly.

"We haven't decided... yet," her grandmother said. Alessia scoffed at the answer and was started to leave the kitchen. Alessia's grandmother jumped up and stood between Alessia and the doorway. "A week. Just wait a week," Alessia's grandmother pleaded. Alessia ignored her grandmother's plea and was about to go around her when her grandfather spoke.

"Just what do you intend to do, child?" he asked. The question made Alessia pause. "You leave today, then what? How will that help your team?"

Alessia started to answer but stopped. She did not know how to answer her grandfather's question. She had been trying to come up with a plan but she knew nothing about how teams operated outside of being a pilot. "How will staying here help my team?" she asked her grandfather.

"All you know about the situation is that your team is being disbanded. You rushing off in your condition won't change that."

"You're not going to convince me to just sit around while my team needs me."

"I'm not asking you to, Alessia. We're asking that you stay for a week and in that time we can decide on a course of action which is something that may actually help your team. We want to help you, Alessia."

Alessia took a moment to think about what her grandfather was saying. She looked at her grandmother, then her grandfather and began trying to think of the consequences of staying with her grandparents for another week. Eventually she realized that her grandfather was right and that even if she left she had no clues as to how she could help the team.

"One week?" Alessia asked, hesitantly.

"One week." her grandfather said, reassuring her.


	11. Chapter 4-1

**Act I**

 **Chapter 4-1**

 **The Navis**

Week 24 - Day 7

Cael tossed and turned in his bed. A light sweat was beginning to form on his forehead eventually, he woke from his restless sleep, panting as if he was exhausted. His eyes were wide open, partly from fear, partly from surprise. He shook off the effects of his nightmare and looked at his alarm clock which told him it was three in the morning. Cael sighed a heavy sigh, frustrated with yet another night without proper sleep, then pulled his wheelchair closer to the bedside and put himself in it.

He made his way to the kitchen where he fixed himself a glass of water and drank it there at the sink. When he had finished he returned to his bed but did not get in. Instead he stopped in front of the night stand where his alarm clock sat next to his phone and sat there, staring at the clock, watching as minutes went by. He looked at his phone and the small white card that lay next to it. The white card that had been the cause of his restless nights. Cael reached for the phone, his hand stopping just in front of it as if contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to pick the phone up.

A minute passed then he pulled his wheelchair closer to his bed and got himself into bed. He lay down, ready to try sleeping again. After fifteen minutes had passed, Cael sat up in his bed, grabbed his phone and the white card. He flipped the card over to the side that had text on it and read it carefully. He dialed the number that was below Dr. Vinheim's name and put the phone to his ear. The phone rang once, then twice, then again, then several more times, and again. Cael was about to hang up when he heard a voice say, "Vinheim here,".

Cael hesitated with the phone to his ear, ready to speak but not speaking. Dr. Vinheim's voice spoke again. "Mr. Nox?" the voice called, assuming it was Cael but not entirely sure.

"Yes," Cael said hesitantly.

"I was starting to think you would never call," Dr. Vinheim said sarcastically, "Well, better late than never I suppose. Shall I schedule a meeting?"

"Yes..."

After a brief pause Dr. Vinheim spoke again. "I can see you today or in two days, this monday at the soonest. If neither of those, I'll have to schedule you for sometime next month."

"Today..." Cael said, his voice slightly shaky. Dr. Vinheim noticed Cael's hesitance and reassured him.

"Don't worry Mr. Nox. We'll only be discussing things at the meeting. It's just to give you a chance to make sure that you make an informed decision,". Cael didn't say anything so Dr. Vinheim contiued. "Omerta Research Labs in downtown Circle City. Do you know where that is? Would you like me to send someone to bring you to the meeting place?"

"Yes..."

"Very well. I'll send an escort over to your place. Should be there at around twelve. That sound alright?"

"Yes..."

"Well then, Mr. Nox, I'll see you then... and Mr. Nox, do try to get some rest."

Dr. Vinheim ended the call and Cael put the phone back on the night stand. Cael stared at the card for a moment. He felt as if a burden had been lifted off his shoulders but he wasn't sure why he felt that way. Cael placed the card next to his phone then lay back down and in seconds, Cael was sleeping soundly.

When Cael woke, it was a little after eleven in the morning. He quickly got himself into his wheelchair and picked out the clothes he would wear. Once he had found something to wear, he sat the clothes on his bed and went to the bathroom. He got a clean towel and rag, then removed his clothes before he got in the shower, sitting on the chair inside the shower. He showered for about 20 minutes, making sure his body was clean. When he had finished showering, he got out of the shower, dried himself off, and made his way back to his bed where he put on the clothes he had set aside.

He ate a small breakfast consisting of two cups of instant noodles and a glass of water, then he brushed his teeth. By the time he had finished eating and brushing his teeth, it was a few minutes pass twelve and a knock at his door let Cael know that the escort Dr. Vinheim sent had arrived. Cael opened the door and was greeted by a man in a black suit, similar to the ones that the men who had escorted Dr. Vinheim had worn. The man offered to push Cael's wheelchair but Cael refused so the escort guided Cael to the vehicle he was driving.

The vehicle was a newer model made by a company called MiraTech and was powered by a Tesla Engine. Cael recognized the car by the diamond shaped symbol on the door because it was the symbol that also adorned the Tesla Engine in his and many other's ACs. The escort opened the door for Cael and helped Cael inside the backseat of the vehicle. When Cael was inside, the escort put Cael's wheelchair in the trunk and got into the driver's seat. The car came to life after the escort entered a code on the touch screen. The car vibrated slightly and the engine could be heard humming with electricity. After the escort enabled safety features via the touch screen they drove off towards the city.

The drive didn't take very long. The escort took several shortcuts that Cael wasn't aware existed. They weren't secret routes by any means, just uncommon old roads and paths that lead straight into the city's inner circle. Once there, they took the highway system that drove on the edges of the AC arena and Cael stared at the dome of the arena beneath him because beneath him, just under the dome, was the battlefield where a piece of metal stabbed his spine causing paralysis in his lower body. He stared at the dome, his mind blank, until it was out of easy view.

When they had passed the arena, they exited the highway into Downtown Circle City. Downtown Circle City is the place many of the businesses in the region had made their headquarters and unlike in many other cities, the downtown district was built around the edges of the giant dome shaped arena with the various transport systems, such as the highway, connecting them. They passed the buildings of many businesses including Summit Industries, MiraTech, and many others. Eventually they arrived at their destination, Omerta Research Labs, just on the edge of the downtown area they were in.

They drove into an underground parking area next. Most of the parking spaces were already taken but they soon found a place to park. Once the car was parked, the escort got out of the car and grabbed Cael's wheelchair from the trunk. He brought it to the side of the car where Cael was and he would have opened the door if Cael had not done so first. The escort helped Cael into his wheelchair then the man pushed Cael's chair to the nearby elevator.

They rode the elevator up, all the way to ninth floor where they got off. The floor was an office floor with glass walls that seperated the different rooms. Cael was pushed down the hall until they arrived at a room where Cael could see Dr. Vinheim through the blinds. Dr. Vinheim who was on the phone at first saw them and waved them in. The escort opened the door and pushed Cael in, closing the door once Cael was inside.

Cael sat silently waiting for Dr. Vinheim to finish talking to whoever he was talking to on the phone, looking around Dr. Vinheim's office when he had gotten bored. He saw many of Dr. Vinheim's certificates and rewards framed on his wall next to a few bookshelves. One of the book shelves only had a few books on it and framed photographs took up the rest of the space. Dr. Vinheim was in many of the photos, dressed in a lab coat in most of them. One in particular caught his attention but he didn't know why. When he thought he almost had figured out why he was drawn to the picture he heard Dr. Vinheim put the phone on it's base.

"Hello Mr. Nox. Pleasure to meet you again, under less awkward and rushed circumstances." Dr. Vinheim said as he stood from his desk. He walked over to where Cael was and picked up the photograph that had caught Cael's eyes. "That's from 2150," Dr. Vinheim said, "busy year that was. I was... twenty four, I believe, when that photo was taken. A number of small villages in Anatolia were at the center of a conflict between Anatolia's military and a resistance group,". Dr. Vinheim handed the photograph to Cael who took a closer look at it. "I was there with a few friends. We helped the people there as best we could," Dr. Vinheim said, "Both sides of the conflict fought with reckless abandon, fighting over control of the small Tesla Towers in the region. Many civilians were hurt...".

Cael examined the photo and noticed that what he thought was a wall was actually a bunch of rubble from destroyed homes piled up. In front of the rubble, five men posed for the photograph but none of them were smiling as they stood there facing the camera with blank expressions. Cael identified Dr. Vinheim in the photo. He looked drastically different than what Cael knew. He looked so different in fact, that Cael only recognized Dr. Vinheim because of the eyeglasses he still wore.

Cael placed the photo back on the shelf with the others, just as it was before Dr. Vinheim picked it up. "Five of us were in that photo... we went there with ten..." Dr. Vinheim said solemnly. He removed his glasses and wiped his eyes then placed his glasses back on his face as he walked back to his desk. Cael followed him and stopped in front of his desk in between the chairs the doctor had for guests.

"You told me you could help me walk again..." Cael said.

"I'm afraid you misheard me, Mr. Nox." Dr. Vinheim said, his voice slightly more optimistic in tone. "I said there's a "chance" I could help you walk again."

"Well? How can you help me when plenty of other doctors said they couldn't do anything?"

"With a special surgery, Mr. Nox. Those other doctors were doctors. I am a doctor that is a scientist!" Dr. Vinheim said. His voice had become jolly and a bit whimsical.

"What's the difference?" Cael ask, slightly annoyed but curious.

"The difference is that the doctors who diagnosed you only excel in medical fields. I excel in not only medicine but technology...!"

"So there's technology that can help a crippled person walk again? Why haven't I heard of it? Why hasn't it been reported about in the news?"

"Restoring an impaired person's ability to walk was never it's intended purpose but yes, in theory it can be used to help a crippled person walk again, so long as their legs are intact that is. As for why you've never heard of it... that's because the technology is new and still in developement. It's being treated as a closely guarded secret."

"It's intended purpose?"

"I'm afraid that's classified information, Mr. Nox."

"So why offer to use your secret technology on me?"

"Why you?"

"Yes, why me? I'm sure there are plenty of other cripples out there who'd jump at the chance... How is it that you came came to my door with this? Then, after almost a week, the offer is still on the table waiting for me."

"Well, Mr. Nox," Dr. Vinheim said pulling out a large stack of files from his desk and putting them on top of the desk in front of him, "There were plenty of eligible candidates. The problem is not lack of candidates but ideal candidates."

"Meaning...?"

"The technology, the surgery... this is expensive stuff, Mr. Nox. We can't just give it to anyone... not yet anyway. We only have enough in the budget to attempt this once. That means whoever we try this on, if it succeeds, needs to be able to pay the costs guaranteed."

"So money was the deciding factor?" Cael asked, chuckling a little. "In case you weren't aware, AC pilots don't make an insane amount of money and pilots that haven't piloted in two years aren't exactly the top of the middle class either. You got the wrong person."

"I'm aware, Mr. Nox," Dr. Vinheim said, laughing at Cael's words, "you need to understand... We didn't choose you because you were rich. No we chose you because we know that if this is succesful we can work you like a horse until you've made us enough money to pay back your debt."

"So you're trading me my legs for my freedom?" Cael asked in a serious tone.

"If that's how you wish to view it, then yes. We intend to have you compete in the arena on our behalf. You get enough to pay for your living expenses but the rest of the money from your rewards and sponsorships go to us. At least you'd be a slave doing something you enjoy."

"And how long would I be fighting on your behalf?"

"I've done the numbers several times. At most, five seasons in the single combat arena in Arizona."

There was a long period of silence between Cael and the doctor as Cael took time to comprehend what Dr. Vinheim had just said. Cael looked at his legs and rubbed them but there was no feeling in them. He tried to move them but they still would not move causing Cael to let out a sigh of frustration. Cael was being faced with an important decision, one that would determine his life for the next five years. If he accepted the offer, he'd have to leave Black Raven but if he didn't accept, he'd never be able to pilot again... or would he? Cael thought about what Noland had said about special cockpits for the handicapped. If he turned down this offer, would he have what it takes to compete at such a huge disadvantage? Dr. Vinheim sensed Cael's inner turmoil and interrupted Cael's thoughts.

"You're right to be conflicted about this, Mr. Nox. This is not a descision that should be made lightly. That's why we're here. So you can make an informed decision," Dr. Vinheim said, the tone of his voice more serious. "The surgery is a spinal surgery. We'll cut you open and drill holes into your spine where we'll implant the Navis-"

"Navis?" Cael interrupted, his voice slightly shaky.

"Navis is the name of the tech. It's name is from an ancient language called Latin. It means ship," explained, "Adequate considering how we intend to use it."

"And how will putting this Navis thing in my spine help me walk?"

"Navis is a powerful BCI, a Brain Computer Interface, or at least a prototype. To keep it basic, it will intercept the signals your brain sends along your spine. It will take the signals directed to your legs and send them where they need to go."

"And that'll help me walk? You've tested this before?"

"No. All of this is just theory. The basics of how it should work."

"So you're using me as a guinea pig?"

"An extremely valuable guinea pig!" Dr. Vinheim laughed. Cael wasn't amused.

"You keep saying things like "chance" and "if it works"... What'll happen to me if it doesn't work?"

"There are several possibilities..." Dr. Vinheim said solemnly. "Among those possibilities is the chance that we completely eliminate your chances of natural recovery. Drilling into the spine is a serious matter after all. However, the most likely possibility... is that... you die..."

Cael felt his body freeze, he was in shock. He felt like the room was spinning, even though it wasn't. Dr. Vinheim sat back in his chair, waiting for Cael's response. Cael's thoughts went everywhere and nowhere. When he managed to shake off his shock, he found that his mind was still blank so he tried to think about the chances of him dying but at the same time, tried not to think about dying. Many contradicting thoughts cancelled one another out, always leaving Cael's mind in a blank state. "Death?" Cael managed to say to himself.

"As I said before, Mr. Nox, this is not a decision you should make lightly. I will say one more thing though. Every day, every month and every year you don't walk, decreases your chances of ever being able to walk again. Even if you regain feeling in your legs, if you gain weight in your upper body, while your legs simultaneously degenerate, you'll be too heavy for your legs to support... No matter what you decide, you'll be taking a chance but you're the one who must decide what chance you wish to take."

Dr. Vinheim pressed a button on his desk and called for the man who escorted Cael initially. Cael sat, trying to make a decision but he couldn't. He didn't know if piloting an AC was worth his life or rather, he didn't know if piloting an AC the way he had been was worth risking his life. Noland had chosen to continue piloting his AC despite only having one arm. Cael questioned whether or not he could do the same. The escort knocked on the door but Dr. Vinheim held up a finger to symbolize wait, that the man saw through the blind.

"I understand this was a lot, Mr. Nox, but you don't have to make a decision today. You have two days to think this over. Talk to people you know about it. See what they think..." Dr. Vinheim said as he stood. He extended his hand to Cael. Cael shook it briefly then began pushing his wheelchair to the door, his eyes on the floor. The escort took Cael back to Cael's apartment outside the city and helped Cael get back inside. Once home, Cael watched TV, flipping through the channels but not really looking for anything to watch. Cael sees Solomon on one of the sports news channels and stops flipping through to watch. Solomon was being interviewed but the interview was not the thing that caught Cael's attention, it was Solomon. Solomon...


	12. Chapter 4-2

**Act I**

 **Chapter 4-2**

 **It Ends Like This**

Week 24 - Day 7

The alarm sounded inside the cockpit, signifiying the end of the simulation. Noland removed his helmet and placed it in his lap. His breathing was heavy and his hair was wet from sweat. Noland sat back in his chair, sighing. He pressed a button that caused the cockpit to open and his chair slid out with the back of the cockpit. Noland was greeted by two members of the engineering crew. One took his helmet and the other helped him out of the chair.

"Ya gettin' better," Lewis' said from the floor.

"Then why's it feel like I'm stayin' the same?" Noland asked as he went down the stairs of the platform until he got to the third to last step where he sat. Lewis walked over to the stairs and leaned against the rails.

"Ya know dam' well this ain't gonna be an overnight thing." Lewis scolded.

"Yeah but the truth is this is starting to get to me..."

"Well don't let it..." Lewis said as he stood up straight. He put his hands in his jacket pocket and began walking off. "Hit the showers," he said as he walked off, "you stink...!"

Noland sniffed his arm and recoiled from the scent. He laughed as he stood up and made his way to the locker room where he stripped down to his boxers then grabbed a clean rag along with a towel. He found an empty shower stall, placed his towel on a rack, then he turned on the hot water and let it run. He showered until he felt that he had washed the stink away then made his way back to his locker where he dried himself off and put on his a pair of blue jeans and a white long sleeved T-shirt.

When he had finished dressing he made his way to the briefing room where Lewis was going over Noland's simulation run, examining the data that had been collected. The briefing room was a fairly large room that had twenty chairs with desks attached to them, evenly spaced out from one another. All of them faced the large touch screen monitor that took up most of the wall it was built into.

"Any problems in there?" Lewis asked, not taking his eyes off the large screen.

"I still think that I have two arms sometimes," Noland said as he sat in the chair next to Lewis, "Could use an air conditioner..."

"Ya hit ratio's down five percent..." Lewis said as he rewinded the simulation's recording. "These two," he said marking two ACs on the screen, "This's where ya lost the five percent. What happened?"

"They were rushin' my left. Couldn't adjust fast enough. Panicked a little and fired a few shots to slow'em down."

"Ya can't waste shots like that anymore, Nol. Wastin' shots is wasting time.. and since ya already at a disadvantage, wastin' a second is like wastin' a minute."

"You know another way to handle that situation? 'Cuz I don't."

"This," Lewis said as he put an input into his touch pad. Lewis pulled up a data overlay that showed the Black Wolf's, Noland's AC, orientation. "Ya still facing forward at the standard angle. Ya turnin' speed when turnin' to ya left's significantly slower than turnin' to ya right but that's only because the delay when ya switchin' sticks."

Lewis brought up a side by side comparison of Noland's turning reactions in similiar situations. It showed that when reacting to flanking enemies, Noland was unintentionally giving his opponents a head start when they attacked his left side versus attacking the right. Lewis then brought up the Black Wolf's orientation data, then adjusted the orientation so that it was no longer facing the middle of the 180 degree line. Instead, his AC was angled further towards the left.

"If ya engage head on at this angle, ya'll be able to cover ya left flank more easily."

"So now I have to manage the angles my AC's fighting at?" Noland asked sarcastically.

"Nol, I'd love to kid with ya but this is serious an' I'm not gonna make light of it. You have to start fightin' dam' near perfectly now. I always use to tell y'all no mistakes... Well now I mean it. Nol, ya can't make mistakes out there. We haven't competed for two years, one o' ya arms's gone an' it's common knowledge in the league at this point. If we manage to compete next season, all o' ya opponents're gonna take advantage of ya obvious weaknesses. Ya can't expect them to play nice 'cause ya handicapped..."

"I know..." Noland sighed. He was slightly disheartened but he knew his coach was right. Lewis turned the monitor off and got out of his seat as he grabbed his jacket. Noland got up and followed him out of the briefing room. They walked to the hangar where Black Raven's ACs were located and watched as the engineering team performed their daily maintenace checks on them.

"We're done for the day," Lewis said, not taking his eyes off the White Wolf as it was being serviced, "You should head home and get some rest."

"Yeah... I think I'll do that..." Noland said. Noland began walking towards the exit, Lewis walked beside him. When they got to the door, Lewis put his hand on Noland's shoulder to stop him.

"Nol... There's somethin' ya should know now." Lewis said, his voice a whisper. Noland, slightly confused, expressed his confusion on his face.

"What's up?" Noland asked. Lewis sighed and scratched his head. He leaned against wall and took a deep breath.

"I don't know how to say it so I'll just say it. Black Raven is officially disbanding," Lewis said his voice still low so no one else could hear. Noland jumped a little at Lewis' words. "Greer sent me the message this mornin'. It hasn't been publicly announced yet, so I'm supposed to keep it under wraps 'til all of our assets've been sold off."

"Do the others know?" Noland asked anxiously.

"I just found out. Ya the only person on the team I've told so far."

"So what're we gonna do?"

"For now... nothin'. There's nothin' we can do." Lewis said. He pat Noland on the shoulder to reassure him. "Head home, Nol. We can talk about all this later. Just wanted to let ya know."

Noland took a bus back to his apartment in the city. His mind was reeling from the accumulated misfortune his team and teammates had endured. When Noland got back to his apartment he went straight to his room where he jumped into his bed. He lay there, his face buried in his pillow.

Lewis said his good-byes to the many people he knew as was leaving the arena for the day. He made his way to his car parked in a parking section reserved for team members. He got in the driver's seat and checked his mirrors before buckling his seat belt. When he was settled in he put in his key and turned it, starting the car's engine. He activated touch screen on his dashboard and turned on some music. He sat, listening to the short but quick accoustic guitar intro. When the man singing the song began to sing, Lewis sang along quietly. "To the town of Agua Fria..." Lewis sang. Lewis drove out of the parking lot and away from the arena. He drove for a while, to the just outside the city where Cael's apartment was located.

"It's me," Lewis said as he knocked on Cael's door and waited for Cael to open the door. Cael opened the door and moved out of the way for Lewis to enter.

"I don't have therapy today." Cael said.

"Can't a guy come by an' visit?" Lewis asked sarcastically. Lewis looked around Cael's apartment, eventually coming to rest on the couch. "Thought ya'd have gotten rid of this by now..." he said referring to the couch.

"Never got around to it..." Cael said. "Why're you here?"

"To bring bad bad news..."

"Bad news?"

"Black Raven's assets are bein' sold off... And Greer'll probably be announcing the disbanding of the team after," Lewis said, sighing. Lewis examined Cael's expression, trying to see how he was taking the news. Cael's face was expressionless as he stared blankly at the floor. "Ya takin' that well..." Lewis said, trying to figure Cael out.

"Black Raven hasn't competed in two years. This was coming sooner or later..." Cael said flatly.

"Ya aren't wrong. Still... didn't think it'd happen this quick... Thought we'd have a year before we had to worry 'bout this..."

Lewis stood up and straightened his pants leg. He stretched and yawned before heading to the door. "Just came by to give ya the news..." he said as he opened the door. "Oh and invite ya to dinner. Ya haven't been by the house in a while..."

"I'll pass..." Cael said.

"Figured ya would. See ya later, kid," Lewis said as he left Cael's apartment, closing the door behind him. Once he was back in his car on the road, he dialed a number on the touch screen on his dashboard.

"Hey coach," Noland answered, "You give Cael the news yet?"

"Yeah..." Lewis replied.

"How'd he take it?"

"Ya know Cael... He didn't show it but I think he took it hard."

"... So all the training's been for nothing?"

"No, not for nothin'. Ya can get a gig with a small timer team and make ya way back up,"

"Not what I meant..."

"I know... After all this time..." Lewis said, more to himself than to Noland.

In his apartment, Cael still sat in his wheelchair, staring blankly at the floor. Tears streamed down his face and his fists were tightly clenched...


	13. Chapter 5-1

**Act I**

 **Chapter 5-1**

 **?**

Week 25 - Day 1

Vai walked into the bar and went straight to the bar counter, taking a seat on one of the bar stools. The bar was mostly empty, having just opened for the day and the bartender was getting a drink for another of the customers on the other end of the counter. Vai looked around the bar as she waited for the bartender and she noticed a drunk, sleeping in a booth with half a bottle of liquor in his hands. She also noticed one of the bar maids, a young woman, walking in and out of the room where the bar kept it's inventory.

Vai looked at a shelf behind the counter where photos lined the top three shelves and the wall above the shelf. Some of the photos were pictures of the bar and people in the bar, smiling with drinks in hand. One picture was of three men standing in front of the bar with three kids in front of them, one boy and two girls. The bartender walked to the counter in front of Vai. "Been a while," he said, "How've ya been Vai? Need a drink?"

"I've been better... and yeah, something heavy." Vai said unlocking her wallet with her thumb print and putting it on the counter. The bartender took the wallet and connected it to his own. When the transfer of credits was complete, he gave Vai back her wallet while he put his under the counter and when his hands came back up, he had two empty glasses in hand.

"The usual?" the bartender asked turning to the shelves of alcohol behind him.

"That'll do..." Vai said. The bartender grabbed a bottle from one of the shelves, opened it and filled the two glasses with it's contents.

"Hey Vai!" the bar maid greeted as she went back into the inventory room, carrying a box. Vai waved half-heartedly before grabbing one of the glasses and started drinking.

"So what brings you here this early?" the bartender asked drinking the other glass of alcohol.

"I'm looking for my mom."

"Your mom...?" the bartender asked.

"Yeah... I've been looking for her all week..."

"So that's where ya've been... I was starting to think you went sober for a while there... Haven't seen her. Why're ya lookin'?

"Charles asked me to when I went to see him last week...".

"How is your old man?"

"Locked up..."

The bartender finished his drink and began cleaning the glass at the sink behind the counter. Vai finished her drink then knocked on the counter for another. The bartender got the bottle that they had been drinking from and filled Vai's glass, putting it back when he'd finished.

"Hey, Maria!" the bartender called to the bar maid.

"Yeah?" Maria called back.

"Have you heard anything about Vai's mom?" the bartender asked.

"Not recently... not that I can think of... why?" Maria asked as she made her way to the counter where Vai sat.

"Vai's looking for her mom." the bartender told her.

"You lost your mom?" Maria asked with false enthusiastic sarcasm. Vai drank her drink in one gulp and stood up from the counter.

"Ya leavin' already?" the bartender asked sarcastically.

"Thanks for the drinks, Felipe." Vai said as she left the bar.

"I wish she'd just come back here and run the bar with us..." Maria said once Vai was out the door.

"Leave it alone Maria..." Felipe told her.


	14. Chapter 5-2

**Act I**

 **Chapter 5-2**

 **?**

Week 25 - Day 1

Knock knock knock. The sound of the knocking echoed throughout Cael's apartment. He wheeled himself to the door to open it and wasn't surprised by who was knocking. It was Lewis who had come to take Cael to his physical therapy session. While Cael was not surprised that Lewis was at his door, Lewis was surprised that Cael was only wearing pajama pants. Cael returned to the kitchen where he had been preparing to cook a bowl of noodles on with the stove while Lewis leaned on the bar counter and watched Cael, trying to figure out what was going on. After a minute had passed and Cael was stirring the noodles to keep them from sticking to the pot they were being cooked in, Lewis let out a heavy sigh.

"I'll bite," Lewis said, "Why're ya still dressed like ya just woke up?"

"I'm not goin' to therapy," Cael quickly responded as he stirred the noodles.

"An' why not? Ya givin' up?" Lewis asked. Cael didn't answer his questions and instead, Cael began adding seasoning to the noodles as he stirred them. Lewis watched and waited silently for Cael to finish cooking the noodle and Cael cooked the noodles until there was hardly any water left in the pot. He poured the noodles into a bowl and added more seasoning to the noodles before turning the stove eye off. Once the stove was off, Cael grabbed a fork and put the bowl in his lap, then wheeled himself in front of the television. Lewis sighed.

"Ya mind?" Lewis asked, pointing to the kitchen with his thumb. Cael moved his head in response and Lewis knew what Cael's gesture meant so he proceeded to enter the kitchen. Lewis grabbed a cup of instant noodles from the pantry, opened it, filled it with water, and put it in the microwave. He stood waiting in the kitchen while watching Cael flip through television channels searching for something to watch. When the microwave had finished cooking the noodles, Lewis grabbed a fork and the cup of noodles then made his way to the couch in front of the television. Cael had settled on one of the drone racing channels so the two of them sat watching the races and eating the noodles without saying a word to one another. Eventually, it was Cael that broke the silence.

"There's a man... Dr. Rickert Vinheim. He thinks he can help me walk again." Cael said. Lewis had a fit of coughing as he choked on the noodles he was trying to swallow and after he cleared his throat he took a moment to gather his thoughts, clearing his throat again before responding.

"Ya probably don't need me to tell ya this but... There are some shady people out there, Cael. People who'd take advantage of anyone for quick buck." Lewis said.

"I know. This guy's not one of those people." Cael said.

"Ya sure about that?"

Yeah."

"How can ya be sure?"

Cael reached into his pocket and pulled out the business card that Dr. Vinheim had given him when they first met. He extended it to Lewis who took it and began reading it. Lewis examined it carefully and noticed the Omerta Research Labs logo on the corner of the card.

"Omerta?" Lewis said hesitantly. He gave Cael back the card who put the card back into his pocket.

"Yeah," Cael said, "I went there last week to talk to him about how he could help me."

"And what'd he say exactly? How can he get ya to walk again?" Lewis asked.

"He said... There's an implant that goes into my spine..."

"Spine?!" Lewis blurted out. "Any kind o' spinal surgery's dangerous. This sounds risky, even by ya standards, Cael."

"There's a chance," Cael said hesitantly, "that the surgery could kill me..."

Lewis took a moment to take in what Cael had said. Lewis looked at Cael and noticed that Cael's hands were shaking slightly.

"But ya actually considerin' it?" Lewis asked. Cael gave no answer. "Why? At least tell me that..."

"I don't know..." Cael said, his voice just above a whisper.

"That's not an answer, Cael. Why're ya riskin' ya life for somethin' like this?" Lewis asked, his voice growing louder. When he realized he was practically yelling, Lewis took a moment to regain himself again before he continued. "I know ya not doin' this just to get back into an AC. So why're ya considerin' this, Cael? This is ya life ya talkin' about..."

Cael didn't reply to Lewis. He sat there, staring at the floor, his face expresionless. After a brief second of silence, Lewis sighed, realizing that Cael wouldn't answer. He got up and took Cael's empty bowl, then went into the kitchen to threw away his empty cup and put their dishes into the sink. Lewis looked at his phone to check the time, then started washing the dishes in the sink and when he finished he dried his hands on his pants then checked the time again. Ten minutes had passed. Lewis saw that Cael hadn't moved from where he had been and sighed.

"I'm headin' out. Gotta go see Alex," Lewis said as he walked to the door, "Wanna come over for dinner? Like old times?"

Cael gave no answer. Lewis sighed a heavy sigh then opened the door. "Yeah, Alessia was the one who made it fun anyhow. I wouldn't wanna eat dinner with a borin' ol' fart either...".

Lewis left Cael's apartment and closed the door behind him. He stood there, his back to Cael's front door. "Time's like this I wish I'd never quit smokin'..." he said, taking an invisible lighter and lighting an invisible cigarette, then smoking the invisible cigarette.


	15. Chapter 5-3

**Act I**

 **Chapter 5-3**

 **?**

Week 25 - Day 1

The sounds of machines humming, metal banging against metal and people moving around echoed throughout the factory. The Line was alive and functioning as always. MTs were being repaired, disassembled, and reassembled at each of the twelve stations. Alexander went from station to station, helping any of his co-workers that needed him. One MT had a leg that wouldn't work and the crew at station seven were thinking of replacing it entirely. Alexander examined the MT's leg and deduced that the damage to the leg wasn't solely external. He helped the crew strip off some of the leg's armor and they discovered that damage to the leg's circuitry was preventing the leg from receiving signals from the cockpit. Alexander instructed the crew on how they should go about fixing the leg before heading to station eight where he helped that workers there install a Muscle Tracer cockpit into the MT. Once he had helped the station eight crew, he headed to station nine but was intercepted by another of his co-workers.

"Alex! Was lookin' for ya. Ya walky off?" the man asked. Alexander checked his device and it was indeed turned off.

"Must've turned it off back at six. 'Sup Ed?" Alexander said as he turned his device back on.

"Bossman's been callin' for ya. Somethin' 'bout a visitor. Might wanna go check wit' 'im on it." Ed said as he moved passed passed Alexander.

"Alright," Alexander said, waving at Ed.

Alexander made his way up to the catwalk then over to Joe's office that overlooked the factory floor. When he got to Joe's door he could hear Joe talking with another man inside. He knocked on the door first and waited until Joe told him to come in. When Alexander opened ther door, his eyes were greeted to Lewis sitting in a chair at Joe's desk.

"Been a while Alex." Lewis said with a grin on his face.

"Me and Louis here were just talkin' 'bout the old days." Joe said, still laughing from whatever was said before Alexander had entered the room. Alexander entered further into the room and shut the door behind him.

"You here to ask me about joinin' again? The answer's gonna be the same as last time." Alexander said sarcastically.

"Nah. I already told ya I wouldn't bother ya 'bout it again," Lewis said. "I came to check on ya and see Joe's dumb ass."

"Lou, you were the dumbest guy on the block!" Joe said, grinning.

"Yeah, and it took ya this long to realize it!" Lewis said. They both broke out into fits of laughter afterwards.

"Well, if that's all, I gotta get back to the floor..." Alexander said, trying to excuse himself.

"Hold up," Lewis said, standing up. "There's somethin' else, Alex... The team's being disbanded."

Alexander stumbled over his own foot but stopped himself from falling forward. He turned to face Lewis, who had his hands in his jacket pocket. "What?" Alexander asked, confused. "Whaddya mean the team's being disbanded? How?"

"Lost all our sponsors to Dread Scythe. Greer's selling off all our assets as we speak actually." Lewis said.

"Why am I just now hearin' about this?" Alexander asked.

"'Cause you don't answer your phone when people call..." Joe said flatly.

"Been tryin' to contact ya all week 'long with Vai and Alessia but y'all make it dam' hard to call..." Lewis said sarcastically. Lewis walked pass Alexander and pat him on the shoulder. "Well, I'm out. Take care o' yaself Alex. An' take care o' Joe's old ass. Ol' man's goin' senile."

"Go to hell Lou!" Joe shouted as Lewis walked out the door. Alexander sat in the chair Joe had been sitting in and slouched. "You okay kid?"

"Not really..." Alexander answered.

"Need the rest of the day off?"

"Probably..."

"Too bad, get back to work. Ed needs you over at eleven. Get on it."

Alexander got up and gave Joe a thumbs up as he left the office.


	16. Chapter 5-4

**Act I**

 **Chapter 5-4**

 **?**

Week 25 - Day 3

Alessia walked to the jet carrying some of her bags with her while her grandparents and Rita followed behind her. The sounds of jet engines echoed across the airstrip and the wind was blowing slighty from the force of other jets's engines. When Alessia arrived at the foot of the stairs she stopped and turned to face her grand parents. She reluctantly gave her bags to Rita who had come up to Alessia and insisted that she be the one to put Alessia's bags on the jet while Alessia took a moment to say farewell to her grand parents. Alessia's grandmother gave Alessia a hug and a few kisses before stepping back then her grandfather stepped forward, extending his hand. Alessia shook it and smiled.

"You're just as intelligent as your mother, stubborn like her too. Your handshake could use some work though," Alessia's grandfather said. Alessia put on a sly smile before tightening her grip to match her grandfather's. Her grandfather noticed and grinned. "Not bad..."

"Are you sure you won't reconsider?" Alessia's grandmother asked.

"I won't," Alessia sighed. She made her way up the stairs where she bumped into Rita. "Guess I'll see you-"

Rita had wrapped her arms around Alessia and hugged her tightly. "You stay out of trouble now, alright?"

"No promises." Alessia said smiling. Rita made her way down the stairs as the stairs began to retract into the plane. Alessia's grandparents and Rita took a few steps back as the jet lifted the vehicle from the runway. Alessia waved at her grandparents and Rita through one of the windows on the jet then, after the jet had reached a certain altitude, it's jet engine propelled the jet forward.

"You know she's not coming back right? We should've never agreed to this." Alessia's grandmother said to her husband.

"I'll pull some strings." he said. He extended his arm, which his wife took, and they walked towards the car Rita waited in.

On the jet, Alessia grabbed her laptop from her bag and turned it on. As she turned on her laptop, she noticed someone else's luggage in the seat across from hers. She heard the toilet flush from the restroom and heard the water from the faucet running. Alessia stared at the restroom door, waiting to see who would come out. After about a minute, the door slid open and out comes a familiar face.

"What're you doing on my granddad's jet?" she asked.

"Mr. St. Claire? He's an acquaintance of mine. I needed to get back to the States and he said I could catch a ride..." the man explained. "You're his grand daughter?"

"Yep..."

"Well, Miss St. Claire... I must say, you've been a thorn in my side," the man said as he sat.

"How's that?" Alessia asked as she began typing on her laptop.

"Those strings you and your grand father pulled were my client's. That was a big paycheck I missed thanks to you two."

Alessia cringed slightly as if she were in pain. She hadn't realized that she had interfered with the man's work after he had confided in her. "Sorry..." she said.

"It's fine," the man said, "These things happen every now and then. No hard feelings." the man said sincerely.

The two spent most of the flight in silence. The man read a book while Alessia watched her computer attentatively, occassionally typing something. Their flight lasted several hours. By the time the jet had landed, Alessia had fallen asleep.

"Wake up, princess." the man said tapping her forehead. Alessia woke after a few taps and yawned.

"Have we landed?" Alessia asked.

"Yeah. Maybe I'll see you around." the man said as he exited the jet. Alessia jumped up and went to the door.

"You never gave me your name!" Alessia yelled from the top of the stairs. The man had already gotten to the bottom of the stairs.

"You never asked...!" the man yelled back, continuing to walk.

Alessia grabbed her bags and exited the plane. She gazed at the Circle City in the distance as she walked across the airstrip to the terminal. Inside, she went through several security checks while the guards checked her bags and her passport.

"Welcome back. Did you enjoy your trip?" one of the guards asked.

"Not as much as I enjoy being back home," Alessia said replied.

When Alessia had cleared the security checks, she hired a taxi through the taxi service that was partnered with the airport then she waited several minutes for her taxi to arrive and recharge. Once it was ready, the driver helped her load her luggage and they were off towards the city. The taxi drove onto the highway then changed lanes and headed towards the main housing area to the west of the arena.

The taxi slowed down as it pulled up to the curb in front of a house on the edge of the neighborhood they were in and the driver helped Alessia bring her luggage to the doorstep. Alessia followed the driver back to the taxi where the driver took his wallet and his credit transfer device. Alessia unlocked her wallet and set the amount of credits to the driver's fare with a little extra as a tip. The driver took Alessia's wallet and hooked it up to the credit transfer device along with his own device. After the credits were transfered, the driver gave Alessia her wallet then drove away. Alessia looked to the familair house that she hadn't seen in two years. She went back up to the porch and got the key from behind a loose brick in the front wall. She unlocked the door and stepped in.

"Nothing's changed..." Alessia said aloud to herself as she looked around, "This place is still a mess..."

Alessia brought her bags in and left them at the door. Then she headed to the kitchen and looked inside the refridgerator. She took a pack of beers she found inside and put them in trashcan. Afterwards she headed up the stairs to the bathroom where she took a shower and washed her hair. When she had finished she took a towel from the bathroom closet and dried herself off. Alessia left the bathroom then headed down the hall to a room where the door had been closed but had been left unlocked. She opened the door and looked around inside the bedroom with a smile on her face. She looked in the dresser and took out some clothes which she put on. When she was dressed, she jumped onto the bed, her bed, and sighed with a smile.

"I wanna go to sleep!" she yelled aloud to herself. She willed herself out of her bed as she groaned then made her way back downstairs to get her luggage and bring it back up to her room. She searched through one of the suitcases and found more formal clothes, a suit, then went into the bathroom next to her room where she showered.

When she had finished showering, she took a towel from the bathroom closet to dry herself off as she went back to her room. She got the blow dryer from her closet and turned it on, drying her hair with it then she checked the time on the clock on top of her dresser. "Twelve on the dot," she read aloud as she continued blow drying her hair.

When she had finished fixing her hair and had gotten dressed, she looked into her mirror to make sure she looked presentable. "Something's missing..." she mumbled to herself. She pondered what it was that she was missing then snapped her fingers when she had figured it out. She looked through her closet until she found a small case. She opened the case and put on the glasses that were inside before returning to the mirror. "Now I look official!" she exclaimed.

Alessia picked up a brief case and took it with her as she headed into the garage where her car was waiting underneath a tarp. She removed the tarp and put it aside. She got into the car and turned the vehicle on. It hummed to life and as it did, Alessia put typed code into the keypad then put in another code to open the garage door and backed her car out, the garage door closing as she left. She drove towards the city, a smile on her face.


	17. Chapter 5-5

**Act I**

 **Chapter 5-5**

 **?**

Week 25 - Day 3

"No good news today. Y'all'll just have to make due," Lewis said. The people who had been sitting, staff and crew of team Black Raven, got up to leave. They crowded through the exits of the briefing room and departed with saddened looks adorning their faces. Lewis let out a heavy sigh before he took a seat in one of the now empty chairs as his phone rang. When he checked it he saw that it was a reminder of a meeting he was to attend to soon so he sighed as he put his phone away and prepared to stand.

"Don't mind me," a voice said. It was Alessia. Lewis turned his head to see that Alessia stood in the doorway, dressed in a black suit and glasses. "Well I'll be damned..." he said in awe, "almost thought ya were dead."

"If I don't get some sleep soon, I will be," Alessia said grinning. They both laughed at the joke as Alessia sat in the seat next to Lewis.

"Ya know, I got into a bet with ol' Bill that ya grandparents'd find someway to to fix ya eyes..." Lewis said.

"Well looks like you won that bet,"

"We called it quits after the first year. Bastard owes me credits." Lewis laughed, Alessia along with him. "It's good to see ya, Alessia."

"Good to see you too," Alessia said as she leaned over and hugged him.

"You picked a lousy time to come back," Lewis said when they finished hugging. "Black Raven's officially being disbanded. The team's assets've all been sold off and with no money to pay rent, we'll be losin' our place here at the arena too,"

"Actually, that's kind of why I'm here now." Alessia said. Lewis expressed his confusion with his face.

"What d'ya mean?" Lewis asked. Alessia gestured for Lewis to wait as she got out of her seat and got the briefcase she'd sat down next to the door.

"You see..." she said, "I would've been back last week but my granddad worked with me some and we came to a deal. He helped me buy the rights to the team and buy some of the team's assets."

"What!" Lewis exclaimed as he sat up straight in his chair. Alessia sat her briefcase on the table top attached to the desk and opened it. Inside were stacks of contract sheets.

"Unfortunately, he wasn't willing to throw every cent he had at this but we managed to keep some of the essentials. The ACs, some spare parts, and a hangar but there's nothing to pay a crew or staff." Alessia explained. Lewis took time to examine the contract sheets and after a few minutes, when he felt he had adequately examined the contents of the briefcase, he put the contract sheets back into the case.

"Well I'll be damned," Lewis said, "This is all great, Alessia but ya know this won't be enough..."

"You have a plan...?" he asked, noticing the sly grin Alessia had.

"You could say that. It's not exactly the best plan in the world though. You see, I did some numbers and the way I see it, is if we can compete this upcoming season and start winning, we'll get at least some sponsors back. I have enough credits left to get us through the season if we all work for free. Of course that means we'll need to maintain our ACs on our own..."

"A few problems with your plan... Alex, Cael an' Vai." Lewis said.

"What do you mean?" Alessia asked, sitting back down.

"They quit the team. Yaself an' Noland're the only official pilots left. Alex's workin' back at The Line. Cael's goin' through somethin' in his head an' Vai's gone off the grid. Can't find her an' her dad doe'n't even know where she is."

"Geez, you really let things go to shit here..." Alessia said, "Wait, Cael quit? What happened?"

"That's somethin' ya'll have to talk to him about. Ya know how he is." Lewis said, stretching his arms and yawning. "I can't get into that head o' his, not that he was ever all that welcomin' but..."

"I'll talk to him... and what' about Vai? Has she gone missing or something?"

"Sorta. I went over to Felipe's. Vai had been there but didn't say anythin' 'bout where she was stayin'. Was hopin' ya knew where to find her..."

Alessia shook her head, no. Lewis sighed as he leaned back in his seat.

"Well, Alex isn't interested in rejoinin' so I hope ya planned on that..." Lewis said. Alessia sighed as she leaned back in her seat.

"Nope..." she said.

"Well... I'm gonna head home. Dinner?"

"Please...!" Alessia said as she stood, Lewis standing with her. Alessia grabbed her briefcase and they left the briefing room together. Alessia poked Lewis with her elbow, "I trashed your beer by the way," she said.

"My beer better be in that fridge when we get back..." Lewis said. He and Alessia laughed. Lewis abruptly stopped laughing and straightened his face, "No, I'm serious. My beer better be in that fridge..."


	18. Chapter 6-1

**Act I**

 **Chapter 6-1**

 **The Underground Arena**

Week 25 - Day 4

Cael lay waiting as the machine's scanner moved up and down over his body. He was naked except for his underwear and a small bracelet-like device on his wrist. In the corner of his eyes, he could see Dr. Vinheim and a few others watching him from behind a glass. They were paying attention to the data on the monitor from Cael's scans while talking amongst themselves and some looked as if they were arguing although Cael couldn't be certain because he couldn't hear what they were saying. Dr. Vinheim noticed that Cael was watching them and waved. Then pressed a button and began speaking into a microphone that connected to the speakers in the room where Cael lie.

"Just about done here. There was a minor anomaly in the last scan so we're going to scan you one more time," Dr. Vinheim said. Cael turned his attention away from the doctors and back to the machine overhead, scanning him.

After about five minutes, the machine had powered down and Dr. Vinheim brought in Cael's wheelchair along with his clothes. Cael dressed himself then got off the table he was laying on and into his wheelchair. "Your scans look great," Dr. Vinheim said.

"How many more tests are you gonna run?" Cael asked, wheeling himself towards the door.

"As many as necessary. I've already told you how dangerous this procedure is. We need to run as many tests as possible until we know your body better than you do." Dr. Vinheim explained. "We're not taking any unnecessary chances on this."

"Do I need to come in tomorrow?" Cael asked as he and Dr. Vinheim left the scanning room making their way down the hall as Dr. Vinheim thought to himself.

"Probably not. There's some data we need to go over, to see what caused that anomaly," Dr. Vinheim said as he and Cael entered into an office.

"What was the anomaly?" Cael asked as he fixed himself a cup of water.

"We're not sure really. It scared some of the others because the anomaly was located in your spine, close to the place where we'd be operating. They jumped to conclusions and wanted to abort everything."

Cael threw the cup he drank from into the recycling bin and started to leave the office but Dr. Vinheim stopped him, "One moment," Dr. Vinheim said as he signed a few sheets then bought them over to Cael. "In preparation for the operation, in the event of the worst case scenario... could you get these signed please?"

Cael looked over and read the sheets. They were contracts of sorts. "What are they?" Cael asked.

"One is a contract for you to sign, saying that you're doing this voluntarily. The rest are things for your family. In case you die... we need to know who to inform. We can only release your body to whoever's signed one of those."

"I'll get them signed..." Cael said. He placed the sheets in his lap then wheeled himself out the door.

Cael pushed himself towards the elevator that would take him back down to the lobby where his escort would be waiting. As the elevator opened, a woman and a man approached the elevator as well and they waited for Cael to board the elevator. Once he was inside they entered as well then Cael pressed the button for the lobby floor, moving back slightly after he did so that the man and woman could get to the panel. Neither of them made an attempt to reach the panel.

As the elevator descended, Cael glanced at the man and woman. The man was dressed similarly to Cael's own escort. He wore the same black suit, white shirt and black tie. His shoes were clean, his shave was clean and his hair neatly cut. Cael also noticed that the man also had the same watch that his escort wears. It was not until he saw this man in the elevator that Cael noticed that his own escort wears a watch. The woman looked young, younger than Cael. Her long hair was very lightly colored, almost white. She was dressed casually unlike the man. Eventually, the elevator came to a stop. The man and woman waited for Cael to exit before they did so. Cael's escort was waiting at the elevator and he pushed Cael's wheelchair to the elevators that would take them down to the parking deck.

When they haad arrived at Cael's door, Cael and his escort were surprised to see that a young woman was knocking on Cael's door. It was Alessia. Cael's escort walked forward, about to confront Alessia, but Cael stopped him with his hand. "She's a friend," Cael told him. The escort understood and walked away.

"See you next time Mr. Nox." the escort said as he left. Alessia laughed.

"Wow. Looks like being crippled did wonders for you. You have your own bodyguard now," she mocked. Cael pushed pass her and opened the door to his apartment. They entered and Cael shut the door behind them. Alessia looked around around Cael's apartment and came to rest, leaning on the back of the couch.

"It's rude to look around someone's apartment without their permission..." Cael said.

"Yeah well, you did it to Lewis way back when. Besides... I... forgot how this place looked," Alessia said. She continued to look around, going into the kitchen where she looked into Cael's refridgerator and his pantry. She scratched her head and looked as if she was confused. "Are noodles the only thing you eat?"

"No," Cael replied, "I eat burgers too."

"Yeah... that's gonna be changing real soon..." Alessia said, closing the pantry doors. She jumped over the couch and sat.

"Not likely..." Cael said as he pushed himself to the kitchen.

"I just got back from France yesterday. I would've come to see you sooner but I was beat. The flight over here did a number on me."

Cael pretended not to hear her and began preparing some noodles on top of the stove. Alessia grabbed the remote to the TV and turned it on, flipping through the channels with the volume turned down. "How've you been?" Alessia asked, now leaning over the back of the couch, watching Cael. "Lewis said there might be something up with you. Told me to ask you about it."

"I'm fine," Cael said as he cooked the noodles.

"Aren't you gonna ask me how I've been?"

"No," Cael said. Alessia pouted then sat back down on the couch.

"Jerk!" she yelled half-heartedly. Alessia watched a program on TV, a documentary, about the Tesla Towers and the long history of conflict around them. Cael finished cooking the noodles and poured them into two bowls. He opened the pantry and placed the sheets he had been hiding behind his back. He grabbed two forks from the dishwasher and then pushed himself to the couch. He gave Alessia a bowl of noodles and they ate while watching the documentary.

"You watch the most boring things," Cael said.

"And you watch the dumbest things," Alessia rebutted.

The crowd cheered as the two MTs crossed blades. The two ACs were similar in design, both sharing a rough humanoid shape and both were designed for fighting, specifically for close combat. They each were armed with a sword and shield. The most notable differences between the two ACs were the various scratches each of them had and their coloring. One of the MTs was black while the other was a dark purple.

The purple MT dashed towards the black MT. It swung it's sword but the attack was blocked by the black MT's shield. The black MT retaliated, triying to stab it's foe but the purple MT retreated just as the black MT's sword scratched the it's armor.

The black MT dashed towards the purple MT as it retreated and the two's swords clashed as the black MT pushed back the purple MT. The purple MT, with it's back now to the wall, used the wall to it's advantage and placed one of it's feet on the wall, pushing back the black MT. The black MT, realizing it was at a disadvantage, quickly retreated just as the purple MT's sword slashed the air that would have been the black MT's small camera-head.

The crowd went wild, cheering louder and louder at the fight they were witnessing. The black MT raised it's shield, preparing for it's foe's rush and the purple MT detached it's shield letting it fall to the floor. The moment it's shield impacted the floor, the purple MT dashed at the black MT and extended it's arm out in front of it as it dashed.

When it was close enough, the purple MT's clamp touched the black MT's shield and the black MT immediately swung it's sword, missing as the purple MT began to circle it on it's shield's side. The purple MT lodged it's blade into the black MT's shoulder and applied force until, eventually, the black MT's arm was forcibly detached. Finding itself in another bad position, the black MT dashed forward, away from it's foe who was now behind following. The black MT spun around to face the purple MT, slashing simultaneously but the attack missed because the purple MT was falling forward. It had ducked the black AC's blade and drove it's sword forward.

A loud alarm sounded as the crowd roared and the two MTs stood still with the tip of the purple MT's blade touching the center of the black MT's torso. The two MTs distanced themselves from one another and the cockpits opened as the crowd grew silent. From the torso of the purple MT, a man emerged, raising his fist triumphantly. The crowd cheered at the gesture then grew silent as the torso of the black MT opened up. From the black MT, Noland emerged giving the crowd a thumbs up and they cheered.

Two vehicles entered the arena as the pilots jumped down from their respective MTs. One headed to the purple MT, the other headed to Noland's. Noland wiped the sweat from his face with a small rag he had, placing it on a piece of metal jutting out of the black MT as the truck stopped right in front of him. Men emerged from the vehicle and all of them went straight to the MT except the one that walked up to Noland.

"I already told you Noland. I don't give a dam' if you have one arm, two arms, three arms, no arms, no legs, no eyes, no brain, and no nuts. You better fucking win," the man said angrily.

"I told you I would," Noland said.

"Well why does it look like you're losing? Don't fuck with me Noland. I got a lotta money on this fight! And that broken arm is coming out of your cut," the man said, pushing Noland slightly. "Raza vouched for you and you dam' well better-"

"I told you I'd win and I will. You worry about your money, let me worry about the fight,"

The men who'd been tinkering with the black MT had finished what they were doing. An alarm rang, signaling that the break was about to end soon and the men quickly ran back to the vehicle they'd entered in. The two vehicles left the arena as Noland and the purple MT's pilot both entered their MTs. The two MT's torsos closed, and the ten second countdown buzzes sounded. Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three.. Two...

The MTs dashed at one another as the crowd began cheering again. Noland slashed but his blade was blocked by the purple MT's shield that had been reattached to it's arm. The purple MT attempted to counterattack but Noland avoided the attack by circling, mimicking what the purple MT had done to him. The pilot of the purple MT realized this, quickly spinning around and deflecting Noland's blade.

The momentum from Noland's blade spun his MT around so that it's back now faced his opponent and the purple MT followed through by stabbing at Noland's MT. The entire crowd gasped as the purple MT's blade ran through the black MT's torso. Noland recoiled in pain as blood gushed from his shoulder. The purple MT's blade had cut him on it's way through.

Noland clenched his teeth, dropping his sword and grabbed the blade of the purple MT's sword. The crowd cheered louder than it ever had during the entire fight while the black MT dashed backwards, slamming the purple MT against the wall. It smacked the blade, forcing the purple MT's clamps to relase the sword, then rushed forward quickly. Noland removed the blade from his MT's torso then quickly spun around and jammed the blade straight down into the head of the purple MT.

The crowd gasped again and fell completely silent as the purple MT made noises while it's lights fluttered until finally it ceased functioning. Smoke began to rise from it's torso and it's upper front plate popped off along with the under plating. The small, tight cockpit of the purple MT could now be seen along with the pilot inside, struggling a little but eventually managing to pull himself out of the MT's cockpit. Seeing that the pilot was alive, the crowd cheered, not that it mattered. They would have cheered if he had died.

Later, after Noland had his injuries treated and he had received his pay, as he was leaving the underground arena he saw Lewis, standing at the exit waiting for him. Noland pocketed the money and went over to Lewis. "No point in hidin' the money now. I saw the fight," Lewis said.

"Ah, well..." Noland said as he walked pass his coach.

"Thought ya were done with all this," Lewis said, "Hadn't even been a month yet..."

"I was done... but in case you didn't know, I'm out of work now. I'm not gonna wait 'til I go through my last payday," Noland said.

"You almost lost your other arm in there..."

"But I didn't -"

"What happens when ya do?!" Lewis scolded, his voice now loud and thunderous. Noland continued walking but Lewis grabbed his shoulder. Noland turned around to face Lewis and saw that Lewis was holding something in his hand, a small drive. "Here," Lewis said, putting the drive in Noland's hand.

"What is it?" Noland asked.

"Nine years ago, almost ten now... I came to ya an' offered ya a better path. Now I'm doin' it again," Lewis said as he walked away. Noland looked at the drive confused.

"Yeah, but what is it? What's on it?" Noland asked.

"It's a different path... see what's on it for yaself. Alessia says "Hi"."

Cael turned off the television and Alessia, who was sleeping on the couch, grabbed his arm. Cael saw that she was still asleep so he sat there for a brief moment, watching Alessia sleep. He took the pillow he had gotten for her and threw it on her head. Alessia let go of his arm, jumping awake. "I was sleeping, you jerk!" she yelled once she realized what Cael had done. Cael gave her the blanket he had also gotten her so Alessia put the blanket over her and the pillow under her head then went back to sleep. Cael turned off the lights and got into his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before falling asleep. He slept soundly that night.


	19. Chapter 6-2

**Act I**

 **Chapter 6-2**

 **?**

Week 25 - Day 5

Cael woke to a pleasant and familiar smell as he lay in bed, half asleep and half awake. The sounds of plates clinking snapped him out of his waking daze so he sat up and rubbed the sand out of his eyes. He sat, trying to figure out what he was smelling and when he couldn't figure it out, he got into his wheelchair then wheeled himself out of his bedroom. Cael was surprised to see Alessia awake and cooking food he didn't know he had. Alessia was preparing breakfast, pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Cael wheeled himself over to the kitchen and watched her.

"Where'd you find the pancakes?" Cael asked.

"A store a little ways from here," Alessia replied, putting the eggs on a plate. Cael opened the pantry and pulled out a cup of instant noodles. He was about to open it when Alessia hit him on the head with a spoon. "Nuh-uh! You're done with the noodles when I'm here!"

Alexander finished eating his breakfast. He put his plate in the dishwasher and turned it on before heading out the door. He made his way down to the factory floor where some of the workers had already arrived and greeted them as he made his way over to his station, station 3. He saw Joe over at another station and waved. Alexander's crew, who had arrived before Alexander came down, had brought in their first MT for the day and Alexander was handed a sheet that detailed the known problems of the MT. Alexander handed the sheet back to the guy who had given it to him then went over to his workbench and grabbed a few tools as the MT was placed in their station.

"Take out the cockpit and the engine. We'll fix the legs later," Alexander told his crew. His crew stood still as they watched an event unfolding across the floor. A worker that Joe had been talking to was storming off towards the main doors. Many of the workers watched the scene unfold and Alexander locked eyes with Joe for a moment. Joe looked down and walked away towards his office.

"What was that about?" one of Alexander's co-workers asked.

"Get back to work guys..." Alexander told them as he made his way up to the platform that allowed him to acces the MT's engine.

Lewis sat in the briefing room, watching replays of another team's fights when Noland opened the door and stood in the doorway. When he saw that Lewis was watching another team's fight, he began to watch as well. Neither of them said a word as they watched the fight and when the fight had ended, Lewis loaded another fight. Before it could start Noland walked further into the room.

"So what's on this drive... you're serious?" Noland asked.

"Depends... can't do it without pilots," Lewis replied, starting the next replay.

"Are the others onboard?"

"Hadn't asked 'em yet. I know Alex'll say "No" an' I can't even track down Vai."

"And Cael?"

"Hadn't asked him either,"

"You sure like taking your time..." Noland said, sitting in the chair next to Lewis.

"Patience is a virtue," Lewis said, "Cael and yaself should learn that sooner instead o' later."

"Wise words of wisdom?"

"Just a suggestion,"

"I can't speak for Cael but I'm workin' on it,"

"Alessia's makin' dinner at my place. Wanna come over?"

"Nah, I got plans,"

""Suit yaself,"

Cael and Alessia finished eating the breakfast Alessia had prepared. Alessia took their plates to the kitchen and began washing them while Cael followed her, about to start helping when his phone rang. "I got this," Alessia told him. Cael pushed himself into his bedroom where his phone was and answered it.

"Mr. Nox...?" Dr. Vinheim's voice called.

"It's me," Cael responded.

"There's a problem. The board wants to pull the plug on the project. I need you to come in on Monday, we're doing the operation," Dr. Vinheim said. Cael paused for a moment, looking towards the kitchen where he could hear Alessia still doing the dishes.

"You have until Monday to make a final decision, Mr. Nox. That's... all I called to tell you. Enjoy the rest of your day," Dr. Vinheim said. He paused to see if Cael would say something but Cael didn't speak so he ended the call.

Alessia finished washing the dishes then cames to the wall outside of Cael's bedroom. She knocked on the door which snapped Cael out of his trance. Cael pushed himself out of his bedroom. "I'm heading over to Lewis' house to change. After that I'm going over to the arena. Wanna come?" she asked.

"No," Cael said, pushing himself to the TV and turning it on.

"Suit yourself," Alessia said, heading to the door. She opened it, then stopped and turned her to face Cael. "I'm gonna make dinner at Lewis's... Wanna come? It's been a while and I could use an extra set of hands..."

"... Yeah," Cael said, his voice slightly above a whisper. Alessia heard him though and smiled. With that, she left.

Later that night, Alessia came to pick Cael up and they drove to Lewis' house. Lewis and Cael helped Alessia prepare dinner. Alessia had to constantly scold them for getting her instructions wrong. Together they prepared brown rice, meat loaf, ribs, and a few other dishes. When the dinner table was set and the food was ready, they sat together to eat.

Alexander finished his evening rounds, making sure each station's equipment was shut down and stored properly. The factory was dark and silent. Only Alexander remained, or so he he had thought. He looked down from the catwalk and saw Joe standing with a bag of undoubtedly unhealthy fast food in his hands.

"Grabbed us a lil somethin'," Joe said.

"Come on up," Alexander said, walking towards the staircase that led up to his apartment above the factory.

Noland knocked on the door before entering his mother's hospital room. He closed the door behind him as he waved. Noland's mother was slightly surprised at his visit but only slightly.

"It's not Friday," Noland's mother said, trying to figure out why her son had come to visit her. "Are you in trouble again, Noland?"

"No mom," Noland said, pulling the chair closer to his mother's bed side, "why're you asking that?"

"Because the last time you came to visit me while I was checked in the hospital, when I wasn't expecting you, you were missing an arm. The time before that, you had a sprained wrist, and the time after that you -"

"Nothin's wrong mom. Can't a guy just wanna come visit his mom?"

"You see me three days a week, every week Noland. Four means something's up," Noland's mother gsaid, pointing her finger.

"Nothing's wrong, mom," Noland said pointing his finger.

"Promise?"

"Promise. Coach Clark stopped me before I did anything stupid,"

"Noland!"

"Calm down. I did a MT fight for a guy Raza knew, is all,"

"I told you about running around with those criminals. Thank God for Mr. Clark,"

"I just needed a few credits, is all,"

"I know money's been tight since everything that happened but falling back into your old habits now is only gonna get you hurt, Noland. Stay away from people like that Raza,"

"I will mom. Besides, I came to tell you. The team's not getting disbanded anymore."

"Really? That's great news! See, good things happen when you walk the straight 'n' narrow," Noland's mother joked as she hugged her son.

"Alessia's grandparents spotted her the credits. She's the owner now. We'll be working for free until we start getting some sponsors back but I won't have to go back to working for Raza,"

"You won't go back to working for Raza if the sponsors don't come back, understood?" Noland's mother said, thumping Noland's forehead.

"Yes, mom," Noland said, resting his head on his mother's bed.

"I got this covered," Alessia said, emptying the pieces of the broken plate into the trashcan, "We've had enough broken stuff for one night."

"Yeah, guess you're right," Lewis said, exiting the kitchen. Lewis noticed Cael, sitting on the back porch so he went out onto the porch and stood beside Cael. "Been a while, since we were all together like this..."

"It was... nice," Cael said.

"Yep..." Lewis agreed. "But ya know... I've been puttin' my head through the ringer... tryin' to figure out what's goin' on in that head o' yours..."

"Made any progress...?"

"Well, it's not like ya're tellin' me anythin' but, I have a guess... but even if I'm right, it's only half an answer,"

"And...?"

"Solomon..."

"I'm going home," Cael said after a long silence, pushing himself back into the house. Lewis held the door open for him and followed him inside. Alessia was finishing cleaning the dishes from their dinner. Lewis helped Cael into Alessia's car where Cael waited until Alessia came out to drive him home.


	20. Chapter 6-3

**Act I**

 **Chapter 6-3**

 **?**

Week 26 - Day 2

Cael removed his shirt and pants then placed them on the floor in the corner. He put on the white shirt and white pants provided by Dr. Vinheim then, when he was dressed, he knocked on the door. A nurse came in to take Cael's clothes while one of Dr. Vinheim's assistants came in and began to do a quick physical check. The assistant measured Cael's heart rate, breathing rate, blood pressure, temperature and pulse. By the time Cael had finished, Dr. Vinheim had come into the room and he waited for his assistant to finish writing Cael's results data on a sheet. The assistant gave the sheet to Dr. Vinheim who looked over it briefly.

"Well... Mr. Nox..." Dr. Vinheim said.

"I'm ready," Cael said. Dr. Vinheim nodded to Cael then he noodded to his assistant. His assistant left the room then came back with a team and bed. The team helped Cael into the bed then pushed the bed out of the room and Dr. Vinheim followed, walking beside Cael as he looked through sheets his assistants were handing him. One sheet startled Dr. Vinheim when he viewed it and he turned to Cael with a scolding expression on his face.

"Mr. Nox, you've not turned in any of those sheets I gave you," Dr. Vinheim said.

"No, I haven't," Cael said to the doctor.

"We won't know who to contact should anything go wrong, you understand that, don't you?"

"In my pants pocket are the names, phone numbers and addresses of the people you should contact," Cael told him. Dr. Vinheim nodded and dropped the matter.

When they arrived at the operating room, Cael immediately noticed the advanced machinery. Several machines were being prepped by doctors and nurses while one of the assistants placed a clear mask over Cael's face and Cael could see his breath on the mask as he breathed. When his bed was firmly in place, the doctors placed restraints on Cael in several places and Cael was surprised when the bed began to turn upright, continuing until the bed rested in a horizontal position with his face towards the floor.

Cael's restraints tightened until they dragged him through the bed through an opening in the bed that Cael hadn't noticed before because the doctors had removed that section of the bed meant for this operation. Cael could see the feet of the doctors moving along with one of the machines Cael had seen when he had first come into the room. He could hear the machine come to life with a loud beep then he saw nothing.

Dr. Vinheim motioned for the other doctors and their assistants to begin the operation. Dr. Vinheim began by creating an incision in Cael's upper back, directly along the center of his spine that another doctor had marked. The machine held the the incision open as Dr. Vinheim cut deeper into Cael. Then Dr. Vinheim and the other doctors moved slowly with a purpose and with precision. Dr. Vinheim used another machine to attach a small device onto Cael's spine. Once they were sure that the device was properly attached, they closed the incision they'd created and created another incision lower down Cael's spine. Cael's heart beat increased and decreased several times throughout the operation, tempting the doctors to apply a stronger anesthetic. Dr. Vinheim ordered them to do no such thing, on the grounds that doing so could kill Cael.

Cael's eyes opened slowly to a bright white light that hurt his eyes and made them flinch in response. Cael powered through the discomfort and managed to keep his eyes open. He felt sluggish as he moved his head to look around the room and it was then that he realized that only his eyes were moving. Cael attempted to sit up but realized that he couldn't. What he was feeling was a feeling he was familiar with because it was a feeling similar to what he had felt when he had woke up in the hospital two years ago.

Cael panicked, struggling to move his body and any part of it he could. He could hear slightly muffled, frantic voices. Then Dr. Vinheim rushed to Cael's side. He spoke and Cael could see that he was speaking however, Cael couldn't hear the doctor's words. A few brief seconds later, Cael could no longer see anything.

When Cael woke again, it was much like the first time. He couldn't move his head, his arms, his legs or any part of his body. Unlike the last time, he was calm. He didn't know why, just that he was. He felt something move over his arm. It was a person's skin. He couldn't move his head but he could see the head of a person next to him and he could feel the person's soft, brown hair as it brushed against his skin. The person lifted their head that they had been resting on Cael's bed. It was Alessia. She rubbed her eyes, stretched and yawned. "I can't move," Cael said but his words were not audible. Alessia moved closer to hear what Cael was saying. "I can't move," Cael repeated, this time more audible.

"Well of course you can't," Alessia said, "You're strapped down tight,".

Cael was surprised and looked down towards the rest of his body. Like Alessia said, he was strapped down. A machine was pressed down on top of him, preventing him from moving. "What is this?" he asked.

"Some machine to keep you still. Dr. Vinheim told me what it's called but I forgot. Wasn't really paying attention to him," Alessia said.

"You met Dr. Vinheim...?" Cael asked. Alessia smiled a coy smile and let out a little laugh.

"Somethin' like that," Alessia said. As she said it, the door to the room opened and Dr. Vinheim walked in. He made his way over to Cael and stood over him. He examined the part of Cael's body that the machine left uncovered.

"How are you feeling Mr. Nox," Dr. Vinheim asked.

"What's this machine for?" Cael asked.

"Well, you just had holes drilled into your spine so I wouldn't recommend moving it around just yet," Dr. Vinheim said sarcastically. "In all seriousness, you were panicking the first time you woke up. Couldn't risk you moving around so we had to pin you down with this," Dr. Vinheim said, tapping on the machine that held Cael down.

"When can I get up?" Cael asked.

"Well, it's been a little over a month now, so I suppose it's-"

"A month...?" Cael said surprised.

"Cael, you've been in a coma for a month," Alessia said. Cael was shocked and tried to get up before remembering that the machine was pinning him down.

"She's exagerating slightly," Dr. Vinheim said jokingly, "You were in a coma for about a week before you woke up for moment... then you went back into the coma for the rest of the month,"

"Not funny..." Cael said seiously.

"Well, at any rate, you should be able to move now but you will be wearing a brace for quite a while. I'll have one of my assistants fetch it for you," Dr. Vinheim said. He left the room, leaving only Alessia and Cael.

"If you weren't already in a hospital, I'd put you in the hospital!" Alessia whispered, angrily. "How could you do something like this? You didn't even tell me! I had to find out from Dr. Vinheim and Lewis!"

"I didn't tell you because you'd worry," Cael said, trying to look her in the eye but she was just outside of his range.

"You're dam' right I'd worry! This was stupid! Dr. Vinheim said the operation could've killed you!"

"But it didn't -"

"But it put you in coma, Cael! That's not funny,"

"I wasn't laughing -"

"No, you were just being a selfish, reckless, asshole...!"

Cael could see that Alessia was beginning to cry. "I'm sorry," he said, trying to make her feel better.

"You will be!" Alessia said, resting her head on the part of Cael's arm that the machine didn't cover. Dr. Vinheim and one of the nurses entered the room with a brace for Cael's spine. They removed and deactivated the machine that was holding Cael still before helping Cael sit up and Cael flinched a little from the pain as he sat up.

When he was sitting correctly, the Nurse attached the brace to Cael's back and tightened it. The brace itself had a large spine shaped rod that kept Cael's back rigid from the base of the spine all the way up to his neck. Straps with buckles on his torso kept the brace in place and there were also small interconnected devices that kept the buckles from loosening. When they were finished attaching the brace, the nurse left the room and Dr. Vinheim began doing a few tests to see if Cael had feeling in his legs. Much to Cael's delight, he could feel pain in his legs as Dr. Vinheim poked his knee and feet.

"Well, it'll definitely be a while before I can confidently release you but... while you're here we can get you started on a rehabilitaion program. I think you may actually make some progress this time," Dr. Vinheim said.

"Noland and Lewis are going to be happy to know that you're awake now," Alessia pointed out.

In the following weeks, Cael stayed at the hospital learning to walk again. He could walk normally after a month and after the second he could jog a little. Lewis, Noland and Alessia visited him during his stay. Black Raven's Armored Cores had been disassembled for individual sale when the team was disbanded. Due to the ACs not being able to be bought as ACs, it made it difficult for Alessia to buy all the necessary parts needed to completely rebuild them. Despite the difficulties, Alessia managed to buy the minimum parts needed to make the ACs operational.

Together, Alessia, Noland and Lewis began working hard to reassemble Black Raven's ACs in preparation for the upcoming season. There were not many times they could all visit Cael at once and Vai had completely gone missing while Alexander had his hands full as more workers were being laid off at The Line. Despite missing two of their teammates, things were looking up for Black Raven.

Cael ran on a treadmill as Dr. Vinheim monitored him. He was now running normally and in great physical condition. Then, when Cael had finished, he went back to his room where he took a shower and ate the meal that one of the nurses had brought in. Once Cael had finished eating, he turned on the TV to watch the news. It was mostly news about the conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.

While he watched he felt a strange feeling in two places on his spine. The feeling was pleasant at first until it became unpleasant. The unpleasant feeling soon spread to the rest of his back where it then became pain. Cael pressed a button on his bed to signal for a nurse to come but by the time the nurse had arrived, Cael was screaming as the pain in his back had become too much to bare.

A dozen nurses rushed into the room and one called for Dr. Vinheim as Cael thrashed about. He was thrashing about so violently that two of the nurses nearby got hurt and they had to restrain him to keep Cael from hurting anyone, including himself. It was then that Alessia, Noland and Lewis walked into the room. Lewis rushed to the nurses's side to aide them in restraining Cael and Noland held Alessia as she cried at the sight. One of the nurses ran out of the room and came back moments later with a syringe. The nurse injected the contents of the syringe into Cael's neck and leg. Less than a minute later, Cael was silent, still and unconscious thanks to whatever the nurse had injected him with.


	21. Chapter 7

**Act I**

 **Chapter 7**

 **?**

Week 39 - Day 5

Alessia sat at Cael's bedside only half listening to the conversation Dr. Vinheim and Lewis were having. Lewis was quietly scolding Dr. Vinheim and Dr. Vinheim was quietly defending his actions. After a few minutes of back and forth arguing, they calmed down then began talking calmly. According to Dr. Vinheim, Cael had gone back into a coma which was possibly caused by the Navis implant. Lewis wanted Dr. Vinheim to take the implant out however, Dr. Vinheim warned that taking the implant out would surely kill Cael. When they had finished talking, Dr. Vinheim left the room and Lewis took a seat next to Alessia. They sat at Cael's bedside for a while until the nurses told them visiting hours were done and it was time for them to leave.

"He'll pull through," Lewis said to Alessia as they drove, "he's survived worse."

"Yeah..." Alessia agreed halfheartedly.

"Do ya still think we can bring the team back? Nol an' I won't blame ya if ya wanna call it quits. It is a long shot without Cael an' the others," Lewis said. Alessia took a moment to think about her answer, wiping away the tears that had been building up in her eyes.

"Yeah, it is a long shot but... I'm certain Cael won't be in that coma forever and that we can get the others back. When they come back, we'll need to be ready, so..."

Alessia was looking out the car window but Lewis could tell that she was starting to cry. "We'll make sure everythin's ready," Lewis said.

While Cael was comatose, Alessia, Noland and Lewis continued to work on their preparations for the upcoming ACFL season. They had managed to rebuild the legs to Noland's AC, the Black Wolf and they spent most nights sleeping in the team hangar while working on the ACs tirelessly during the day. Three days out of every week, they took turns taking breaks from their work. Alessia and Lewis used their breaks to visit Cael while Noland used his breaks to visit his mother two days then Cael on the third.

Noland arrived at the hospital Cael was in. He noticed, for the first time, that the hospital was a privately owned hospital when he saw a small sign in the lobby of the hospital that said the hosptal was owned by Omerta Sciences. Noland took the elevator up to the third floor where Cael's room was. He signed in at the nurses's desk and went straight to Cael's room. He sat there for a while watching TV and checking the net for information on ACs. When he got tired of sitting, Noland got up and went to one of the vending machines down the hall from Cael's room. He looked at the items in the vending machine trying to decide what he wanted.

"Are you going to get something?" a woman's voice asked him. Noland turned his head and was surprised to see that it was a woman he knew.

"You're... the girl from the lake," Noland said, almost to himself. He noticed all the different traits the young woman had that he had not noticed before. Her black hair, just black enough to not be gray,and her dark brown eyes.

"Are you going to get something?" the young woman asked again. Noland, realizing he was in her way, stepped back to allow her to use the vending machine.

"Do you remember me?" Noland asked.

""You're the not soldier," she replied as she inserted her wallet into the machine. She pressed the button of the item she wanted, a small candy bar, and it fell to the bottom of the machine for her to get it.

"Noland, North," Noland said, reintroducing himself, "but I didn't get your name the last time we met."

"I didn't give it," the young woman said as she pressed another button. This time a canned drink fell to the bottom of the machine for her to get.

"Uh, okay," Noland said, slightly confused, "Are you going to give it?"

"No," the young woman said as she took her items and wallet from the vending machine. She walked away immediately after leaving Noland in a similar state to what he was in when they first met.

Noland put his own wallet into the vending machine then pressed the button for a canned drink. It fell to the bottom and he took it along with his wallet from the vending machine. Once he had his drink and wallet he made his way back to Cael's room where Dr. Vinheim was checking Cael's condition.

"Hey, doctor," Noland greeted as he entered.

"Mr. North, how have you been?" Dr. Vinheim asked as he checked the machines monitoring Cael's condition.

"I've been good. How're you?"

"Well, I'm doing fine!" Dr. Vinheim said enthusiastically.

"How's Cael?"

"Well, he's still in a coma,"

"Anything besides the obvious," Noland laughed.

"Well, he seems to be perfectly fine. Nothing bad or unusual about his condition,"

"You have a minute or two on your hand?" Noland asked, taking sips from his drink. Dr. Vinheim checked his watch.

"Sure," Dr. Vinheim said.

"This hospital... it's privately owned... by Omerta Sciences?" Noland asked.

"Yes. Omerta owns a number of hospitals in the northeast. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering. I only noticed that this hospital was privately owned today, is all. So the Navis thing in Cael was made by Omerta Sciences?"

"Oh no no no," Dr. Vinheim laughed, "the Navis was made by me and my team. Omerta merely funds my research. Most of my research is medical in nature so they provided me with a hospital where I could practice experimental medical procedures."

"So," Noland said, thinking of his next question, "the patients here are all here for experimental procedures? Like Cael's operation?"

"Not all of them. We treat regular illnesses and injuries here mostly. The experimental procedures are only for those who have conditions that can possibly be treated with them. Even then, they'd have to opt into it. No mad scientist stuff going on here if that's what you were wondering," Dr. Vinheim laughed at his last words.

"Coulda fooled me!" Noland jested.

"Any other questions on your mind?" Dr. Vinheim asked.

"Not really," Noland said.

"Well then, I'll take my leave, Mr. North," Dr. Vinheim said as he walked towards the door.

"Oh, wait!" Noland said abruptly. Dr. Vinheim stopped to hear. "There's a lady here and I was wondering if you knew her name?"

Dr. Vinheim laughed. "Mr. North," he said, "there are many ladies here. Even if I knew which you were reffering to, if she's a patient, I couldn't tell you anything about her. Doctor-Patient-Confidentiality,"

"Well you're no help," Noland said.

"Have a good day, Mr. North," Dr. Vinheim said, leaving Cael's room. Noland stayed for a while after Dr. Vinheim left then went back to the Black Raven hangar to get back to working on the team's ACs.

When Noland arrived back at the hangar, he went straight to work on one of the Black Wolf. Lewis and Alessia who had been working on Alessia's AC, the Blackbird, came over to assist him.

"How was Cael?" Lewis asked, holding a large joint still for Noland.

"He looked okay. Dr. Vinheim says he's fine too," Noland said, attaching a large ring to the joint.

"That's good. Alessia!" Lewis called out. Alessia who was in the cockpit of a crane, began to operate the crane. The part of the arm Noland and Lewis had been working on was lifted off the ground. Lewis waved at her to stop when the arm was high enough off the ground. Noland got under the arm with a face mask and blow torch then Lewis followed him under wearing his own face mask. He held a rod in place for Noland to weld to the inside of the arm.

"I don't even know what this thing is," Noland said, "Dam' I wish Alex would bring his ass back here," Noland said. While they did that, Alessia began welding armor to the Black Wolf's legs. When Noland and Lewis finished beneath the arm, they went over to assist Alessia.

"By the way," Noland said, "have any of you ever seen a woman on Cael's floor?"

"Yeah, I've seen plenty o' women there," Lewis joked, "ya wanna be more specific?"

"Noland, you're there to look out for Cael, not find dates!" Alessia yelled.

"You know what, forget I asked," Noland said flatly.

"Sounds like Nol met a looker," Lewis mocked.

"Ah go to hell Coach," Noland joked.

The three of them worked on their ACs for the rest of the evening. Alessia went out to get them dinner and they ate in the hangar. When they had eaten and put their equipment away, they brought out their sleeping bags. The three slept on the floor of the hangar until morning and when morning did come, Lewis went out to get them breakfast. After they had eaten, they went straight to work on the ACs.

Days went by, then weeks, then months. Noland occassionally saw the young woman when he went to visit Cael but they never really spoke. The members of Black Raven worked on their ACs more and more each day as the Team Qualifying Rounds approached. As the new owner, Alessia entered Black Raven into the season tournament before the deadline. One week before the beginning of the qualifying rounds, they'd only managed to get the Black Wolf operational with minimal weaponry and armor along with a generic operating system. The Blackbird had it's radar functions but the AC lacked firepower and defenses. Alessia, Noland and Lewis were in a panic. Cael had not woken up, Alexander refused to rejoined the team, Vai was still missing, their ACs were not ready and the season would be starting soon.


	22. Chapter 8

**Act I**

 **Chapter 8**

 **?**

Week 52 - Day 6

A loud clicking sound echoed throughout the hangar as the left arm of the Black Wolf was connected to the Black Wolf's chassis, it's Core. Alessia gave Lewis a thumbs up to let him know that the arm was successfully attached and Lewis climbed down from the crane to join Alessia on the floor. Together they smiled at their handiwork. The Black Wolf was complete for the most part but their celebration was cut short when they both remembered that only the Black Wolf was completed.

"What the hell're we gonna do?" Lewis asked, sighing.

"No clue," Alessia sighed.

"I'm thinkin' that if we pull all nighters we could get the Blackbird runnin'."

"I don't really see a point. Without the proper operating system I won't be able to use the secondary systems anyway. Best we could do is add some armor and make it a bullet sponge. Might be able to buy Noland some time..."

"Don't sell yaself short. It's just the qualifying rounds. We'll more than likely be goin' up against rookies."

"Yeah but still. Most rookie teams rely on fielding five ACs. I'm not too optimistic about a two on five fight,"

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." Lewis said. Lewis' phone rang and he answered it. "It's the inspection team," Lewis said hanging his phone up, "I'm gonna go let 'em in. Wanna go get us some lunch?"

"Alright, be right back," Alessia said as she left. Alessia went out the door closest to the parking lot where her car was parked and Lewis opened the hangar door for the inspection team to drive their equipment in.

The inspection team had looks of awe on their faces. Some of them were laughing and the rest looked horrified. Lewis hadn't noticed that the hangar was trashed. Parts, components and metal were scattered everywhere. Somewhere along the line, they had stopped putting their sleeping bags away as well and those were now in view of the inspection team.

"Sorry for the mess. We've kinda been busy," Lewis joked. One of the men, the chief inspector, walked up to Lewis and they shook hands.

"Do you still want us to perform the inspection today?" the chief inspector asked.

"Yeah," Lewis said. The chief inspector signaled for his team to begin and his team began unloading their equipment from the truck. The chief inspector had Lewis sign two sheets then joined his team in the inspection. They checked the Black Wolf first, going over just about every part, piece and joint of the AC. By the time they had finished inspecting the Black Wolf, Alessia had returned and as the inspection team moved to check the Blackbird, the chief inspector returned a copy of the Black Wolf's inspection report.

"With one exception, it's good to go," the chief inspector said as Lewis and Alessia looked over the report.

"What's wrong with the generator?" Alessia asked.

"A lot of those model generators were banned by the Commission. Something they decided on and began enforcing during the suspended season. It's not common knowledge since most people use the newest parts anyway but some parts are more likly to go up in flames than others. The generator in the Black Wolf is one of those parts," the chief inspector informed her. He excused himself and went to help his team with the Blackbird's inspection.

"Do we have enough in the budget to get a newer generator?" Lewis asked.

"Hold on," Alessia said checking her phone. "I know we don't have enough to get a new generator and not starve... buuuuuuuuut... there's no ban on the White Wolf's generator," Alessia said with a half-hearted enthusiasm.

"Put the White Wolf's generator in the Black Wolf?" Lewis asked.

"It's not like we actually have time to put the White Wolf together... and besides, Cael's still in a coma..."

Lewis put his arm around Alessia and hugged her. He could tell that she was upset. The chief inspector came back to Lewis and Alessia. "That was fast," Lewis pointed out.

"I'm afraid there wasn't much to do," the chief inspector told him as he gave Lewis the Blackbird's inspection report. Lewis and Alessia looked over the report and Alessia cursed the air as she walked off. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news," the chief inspector said.

"Dammit," Lewis swore.

"It's pretty damned advanced for a vintage AC but it just doesn't meet the AC Safety Guideline standards now. It's completely exposed and the armor it does have is far too thin. Even the new segmented rounds can get through that. If you pilot that AC in the arena, there's a good chance the pilot could suffer serious, if not fatal, injuries. On top of that, the generators, cockpit, radiator, and fire detection system are all outdated." the chief inspector explained. "I really do wish I could clear it. That is the same AC St. Alyssa piloted, isn't it?"

"Yep... but's it's alright. Ya just doin' your job," Lewis said shaking the man's hand.

"Man, me and the boys got a little excited when we realized that it was the Blackbird. Really thought we'd get to see it in action again this season," the chief inspector said, slightly embarassed.

"There's always next year I guess," Lewis said optimistically. The chief inspector and his team loaded their equipment back onto their truck then departed. Lewis closed the hangar door then joined Alessia in the upstairs office where she had gone to eat her lunch. Lewis sat across from her and ate the lunch she had gotten for him.

"Ya okay?" he asked her.

"Not really, no..." she replied.

"There's a real' ol' sayin' "Where there's a will, there's a way"," Lewis said.

"You know, when my granddad was teaching me the stuff I needed to know to do this, to be the owner of the team... did you know one of the first rules of owning a team is don't own a team you're emotionally attached to?"

"Didn't know..."

"I kinda understand why, now." Alessia said as tears started to gather in her eyes.

"Ya givin' up?" Lewis asked seriously.

"No but... what else can we do? If we face a team with three or more pilots, Noland's just gonna wreck the Black Wolf, then we won't even be able to sell it off..."

"We don't know who we're goin' up against and we don't know how many guys they'll have. If ya quit now, ya'll regret it for the rest o' ya life,"

"I'm back!" Noland yelled as he entered the hangar, "I just saw the inspection team leave! Was that us or what?"

"Ya wanna tell 'im or me?" Lewis asked.

The old iron door slid open. It was dark inside and Vai couldn't see anything inside. Even so, Vai entered the room and the man who'd been behind the door, closed the door as she entered. The smell of alcohol, drugs and sex filled Vai's nose. She could her the cries of whores and drug addicts, along with the voices of men, echoing throughout dark as she walked down the long, dark hallway.

When she had reached the end of the hallway she walked up the set of stairs she found there. The second floor wasn't as dark as the first because the few lights that were on made just enough light for Vai to clearly see into the rooms. Men and women doing drugs, drinking, smoking and havisng sex could be seen in the rooms as well as heard. Vai ignored it all, continuing down the hall, coming to another set of stairs and taking them up to a third floor.

The third floor was much brighter than the last two and Vai's eyes stung as they adjusted the new lighting. There was no hallway and the floor was one large room except for the walled off room on the other side of the floor. Vai walked towards the door to that room and the men on the floor watched her closely. Those who had been sitting at tables or on the floor playing cards paused their game to watch Vai. The men who were moving large sacks of drugs and intercepting security channels also paused their activities to watch her. All eyes were on Vai except for those that were too high to notice her but no one could accurately tell. As Vai drew closer to the door, a man sitting next to the door stood and intercepted her.

"Think ya's a bit los' lit'le girl," the man said laughing as he grabbed the back of Vai's neck and put his face close to hers. "Why 'on't we git ya back downstairs?"

When he tried to move Vai, she pulled out the handgun she was keeping tucked in her pants and pressed it against the man's neck. Those who were sitting jumped up and some pulled out guns of their own, ready to shoot. The room was quiet and tension filled the air as the standoff held the room hostage. The door Vai was headed to opened and out came a woman.

"The fucks goin' on out here? Get back to work before I shoot you fucks in the head," the woman said furiously. When she saw that Vai had a gun to a man's throat she immediately pulled the man away and punched him in the face. "Get back to work!" the woman yelled. The man walked away, and the woman gestured with her head for Vai to follow as she went back into the room.

The woman took Vai's gun as she entered and closed the door behind Vai. Vai sat in a chair in one of the chairs across from the rocking chair and waited. The woman who had taken her gun stood next to the door and after a moment, another woman appeared from behind the curtains across from where Vai was sitting. The woman was old and thin, her face wrinkled.

"The hell do you want?" the old woman asked, not even looking at Vai as she walked. The woman walked to a table slowly with an old cane and turned on an old record player that sat on a table. The old music played quietly as the woman sat in the rocking chair. "Don't make me ask you again, child," the woman said, realizing Vai had not yet answered her question.

"I'm looking for my mother," Vai said.

"What makes you think I know where your whore mother is?" the woman asked sternly.

"She's your daughter, isn't she?" Vai asked, rhetorically.

"She's only my daughter because my nitwit son couldn't keep his cock in his pants. Got a whore knocked up and married her... that's how you were born, remember?"

"I didn't come here for all this pleasantness," Vai said sarcastically, "Have you seen her or not?"

"Watch your tone, bastard child. Some of my men found her in one of my houses, doing what whores do. When I saw her last, she was naked and drugged up... sounds like that hasn't changed,"

"Where is she now?"

"I don't keep track of whores that I don't own,"

"Thanks for nothing," Vai said as she got up to leave.

"The next time you come here, it better be to work or I'll have my men fuck you, kill you and throw your corpse in a ditch," Vai's grandmother warned. The woman standing at the door opened the door for Vai but didn't give Vai her gun back. Vai left the room and the door slammed shut behind her.

"Shit," Lewis said, reading something on his tablet. He looked to Noland and Alessia who were also reading the same thing on their phones. A day had passed since the inspection crew told them that only the Black Wolf was eligible to fight. The match ups for the qualifying rounds had been released and they were looking through the brackets.

"On the bright side, at least it's a rookie team," Noland said, making light of the situation.

"They field four ACs and we fight them Wednesday. That's five days away. There's no way we can have the Blackbird ready by then." Alessia said.

"So what do we do?" Noland asked. Alessia looked to Lewis but Lewis shook his head.

"It's your call, Alessia," Lewis said.

"We have five days to figure it out," Noland pointed out. Alessia sighed in frustration.

"If Noland goes in alone, the Black Wolf might get wrecked, but if we don't fight that's it for us anyway..." Alessia thought out loud. She stood up and paced for a bit before sitting back down. "We have to fight..." she said.

"We're risking it all on Noland?" Lewis asked, "As good a bet as any,"

"You guys expect me to take on four guys at once? I'm all for optimism but I could barely take on two in the simulator..." Noland said.

"We'll go over their data, come up with a plan..." Alessia said, more to herself than to her teammates.

"Then we should take some o' the Blackbird's detection equipment and put it on the Black Wolf," Lewis suggested.

"Have the rules changed for one pilot teams?" Alessia asked.

"No. Single pilots are still allowed 2 resupplies but they did decide to go ahead and pass that other rule. If you're caught resupplyin' you're out," Noland answered.

"We can work with that," Alessia said standing back up, "we need to start planning now though".

"Agreed," Lewis said as he stood, "I'll get started moving the Blackbird's detection equipment to the Black Wolf,".

"Noland and I'll start going over the Fireflies's past fights," Alessia said.

"Ah, what the hell. Might as well enjoy our last league match," Noland said as he stood as well.


	23. Chapter 9-1

**Act I**

 **Chapter 9-1**

 **?**

Week 1 - Day 2

"Alright, let's go over everything," Alessia said.

Lewis reset the information on the TV screen and Noland stood up to stretch then sat back down. Alessia went over the data on her own tablet and when they were ready, they began going over their plan starting with the information they had gathered.

"This," Lewis said, bringing up the image of an AC, "is the Firefly. A lightweight bipedal. It's main armaments are an arm mounted machinegun, an arm mounted rocket launcher an' a back mounted rifle. It's the only AC team Firefly uses,".

A recording played of the Fireflies showing them going toe-to-toe with another rookie team. One of the Firefly ACs drew the fire of an enemy tank AC while his teammate hit it with flash rockets. A third Firefly went in for the kill and a short distance away, the fourth Firefly lured the tank AC's teammates away. Two of them tried to turn back and help their teammate but the fourth Firefly immediately shot one of their cockpits from behind. The enemy team tried to rally but at that point the four Fireflies circled them, laying down a wall of bullets as they did and eventually the enemy ACs were down.

"They use fairly advanced swarmin' tactics, and their uniform ACs make it harder to single out a specific target," Lewis pointed out.

"They had a lot of success in the off season. They won all of their exhibition matches and got themselves a sponsorship from MiraTech who supplied them with the Fireflies," Alessia added.

"One of the top five rookie teams this year," Lewis said as Alessia put the data she had on the screen.

"The top speed of the Firely is about 120 miles per hour. During their first exhibition with the Firefly, they went as fast as 115." Alessia said.

"So it's a safe bet to say that they'll be slightly improved models when ya fight'em in two days," Lewis said.

"Against the swarming tactics, I'll be at a huge disadvantage, nevermind the higher grade parts the Fireflies use," Noland interjected.

"We thought of that. We saw that three days ago and thought of these," Alessia said pulling up part data, "They're mine launchers. The mines release an adhesive that should paralyze the Fireflies if they hit,".

"And how do I counter the flash rockets?" Noland asked. Alessia and Lewis looked at each other for a moment then looked back to Noland.

"You're gonna have to figure that out on your own. Best advice I'd give ya is to not get hit wit' 'em," Lewis said.

"Well that's just great..." Noland said sarcastically. Alessia put some of her other data on the TV screen. It was data for the flash rockets.

"They don't fly staight," Alessia explained, "if you can stay out of their range, they'll just fall to the ground and explode,"

"And how do I do that? The Black Wolf's max is 90 miles, and that's without the detection equipment," Noland said.

"Wishin' we would o' built the White Wolf instead o' the Black but we can't change that now," Lewis said.

"We are so screwed..." Noland groaned. Alessia was about to continue when her phone rang.

"Hello...?" she said. Her eyes widened and tears began to gather in her eyes.

"What is it?" Noland asked, jumping out of his seat as Alessia hung up the phone and burst into tears.

"It-it's C-c-ael... h-h-he..." Alessia stuttered, "he woke up...!"

Lewis hugged her tight, crying a little as well, though his tears were few and a wide grin covered Noland's face. "About damn time," Noland said.

Cael walked on the treadmill much to the dismay of the nearby nurses and every time he looked as if he were about to stumble the nurses jumped to to his side then he would wave them away. Dr. Vinheim watched Cael from the observing room through the glass window and some of the other doctors in the room with were talking with one another with frantic looks. Dr. Vinheim shouted at them and left the room. He entered the room where Cael was and walked up to Cael.

"I let your friends know that you're awake," Dr. Vinheim said. Cael stopped walking and leaned on the treadmill, sweating and tired.

"Will I go into another coma?" Cael asked.

"I have no idea, I'm afraid." Dr. Vinheim answered honestly. "I do know that pushing yourself like this isn't going to help you,"

"The league season starts in two days. I can't be stuck here right now..." Cael told him.

"Well, Mr. Nox, you won't be able to compete if you're in another comma..." Dr. Vinheim said. Cael got off the treadmill and nurses rushed to him to help him walk. "You only woke up a few hours ago Mr. Nox. Rest today, push yourself tomorrow,".

Cael was escorted back to his room where he took a shower. He noticed how thin his body had become and how hard it was to move without getting tired. When he had finished showering, he dried himself off and brushed his teeth. He looked into the mirror and immediately noticed how long his hair had gotten along with the beard that was forming. He left the bathroom and went through his things, finding a razor, then went back to the bathroom. He wet the blade then began shaving the beard and when he had finished, he got dressed in some of the clothes the hospital had provided. Cael sat on his bed and as he did the door to his room flew open as Alessia ran in. She ran straight to Cael and hugged him then Noland walked in behind a few seconds later waving to Cael.

"You scared us!" Alessia said crying, still hugging Cael. Cael hugged her back and then stopped.

"I... can't breathe..." he said. Alessia, realized she suffocating him and loosened her hug.

"Lewis is trying to get to Alex but he still doesn't answer his phone," Noland said as he sat in the chair nect to Cael's bed.

"The season starts in two days," Cael said. His statement caught Alessia and Noland off guard.

"Why're you worrying about that?" Alessia asked, "worry about getting better!"

"When's our first match?" Cael asked. Alessia stopped hugging Cael and looked him in the eye.

"No," she said, "you're not fighting right now, you just got out of a coma, Cael..."

"So Alex and Vai are back on the team?" he asked flatly. He waited for Alessia to answer, when she didn't he looked to Noland for an answer.

"Cael, we were only able to put the Black Wolf and Blackbird together. And the Blackbird doesn't meet the new safety guidelines standards. There's no AC for you to pilot..." Noland explained.

"I may have a solution for that," Dr. Vinheim said as he entered the room with Lewis beside him.

"Wait, what?" Alessia asked, surprised and confused.

"Well, Miss Saint-Claire, I intend to work Mr. Nox like a slave when he is able. Until his debts are paid at least. So, I oversaw the assembly of an AC for Mr. Nox to use," Dr. Vinheim explained, "It's fully operational and has already been cleared by an inspection team,".

"You," Alessia said angrily, her brow furrowed, "he just woke up. How could you clear him to pilot an AC?"

"Well, I haven't yet, Miss Saint-Claire. But I can't very well hold him here against his will and he can be quite stubborn... isn't that right, Mr. Nox?" Dr. Vinheim said.

"Cael, no...!" Alessia warned.

"Alessia..." Lewis said. Cael looked at his hands and flexed them. He then tried flexing the muscles in his fore arm.

"Where's the key?" Cael asked Dr. Vinheim. Alessia gave the doctor a mean look and the doctor laughed.

"Oh no no no, Mr. Nox. You're not getting the key until tomorrow, after you pass a physical," Dr. Vinheim said enthusiastically. "Does that sound fair, Miss Saint-Claire?"

"I won't hit you this time..." Alessia said sarcastically.

"You hit Dr. Vinheim?" Noland asked in disbelief.

"It was when she found out that the operation was experimental," Lewis explained.

"He's not a guinea pig," Alessia said.

"Of course not. He's an extremely expensive guinea pig!" Dr. Vinheim joked but Alessia didn't laugh.

Noland and Lewis went back to the hangar to make their final preparations for their match while Alessia stayed at the hospital with Cael, going over some basic information about their opponents. The next day, Cael took Dr. Vinheim's physical tests. He passed the tests and Dr. Vinheim cleared Cael to pilot an AC.

The Line was silent. The workers had stopped working to catch whatever snippets they could from the volatile argument occuring in Joe's office. Alexander's voice was like thunder and Joe's voice was just as thunderous.

Joe slammed a stack of files on his desk angrily. He and Alexander were locked in a staredown. Joe took another, larger stack of files from his desk and slammed it down next to the first stack. "All the people I've had to lay off in the last year," Joe said with his hand on the first stack. "All the people I'll have to lay off in the next few months," Joe said, placing his hand on the second, larger stack of files. Alexander was surprised and horrorified at the sight.

"But... how? Why?" Alexander asked, more confused then angry. Joe fell back into his chair, a tired, worn expression on his face. Alexander had never seen him look this old before and was surprised by it.

"Why d'ya think I've had us takin' on so much business this last year, Alex? This was long comin'. Any payin' job I came across, I took. I took 'em to buy us some time." Joe explained.

"But how did things get this bad in the first place, Joe?" Alexander asked.

"Big companies like Summit and MiraTech've made MT's cheap as all hell. These days, it's easier and cheaper to buy new MTs than it is to have them repaired. Summit's even made their MT parts nearly completely interchangeable. We can't compete against that, Alex..."

"So why're you firin' me now? You need me here now more than ever!"

"You're the best dam' mechanic in the place. Ya think I don't know that?"

"So why?"

"You remember the day Eddy's wife and kid came up here to bring 'im his lunch?" Joe asked. He picked up the top file from the stack of files and opened it. He looked over it's contents.

"Yeah. What does that have to do with this?" Alexander asked.

"If I don't fire ya, I'll have to fire someone else, might be Eddy, might be Ramirez... I'm firin' ya to buy me some time b'fore I have to fire one of the guys that won't be able to get another job," Joe explained. Alexander was stunned. He fell back into one of the chair at Joe's desk. He wiped the tears from his eyes and laughed as he let his head fall over the back of the chair.

"It feels like I'm losin' everything..." Alexander said.

"Sorry, Alex," Joe apoligized, "John and I started this place to give guys like Eddy a second chance just as much as it was to make money,".

"Yeah, I know... I just..." Alexander said. He sighed a heavy sigh, then sat straight in his chair. "What do I do now? I live here too y'know."

"Well I'm not kickin' ya outta the apartment. I just can't pay ya," Joe said.

"So I could still work here, just without pay?"

"Ya can do whatever you want but in all honesty, I'd wish ya'd go somewhere where ya can use that head o' yours and get paid for it,"

"Ah, you're just tryin' to get rid of me," Alexander said jokingly.

"Dam' ya done figured me out," Joe said sarcastically.

The large room was dark and cold. The few bright spotlights in the place only served to create more shadows that made the room even darker. Cael leaned on Alessia as they followed Dr. Vinheim through the dark room. Eventually they came to a door that unlocked when Dr. Vinheim input a passcode and the locks in the door made a series of loud mechanical sounds before finally sliding open. It lead to a storage area of some kind, filled with boxes, crates and shelves lined up in rows. Cael and Alessia were surprised by how big it was. They were more surprised by the AC sitting on the far side of the room. The shelves appeared to have been moved away to make room for the AC. Cael and Alessia followed Dr. Vinheim to the feet of the AC where the two of them felt a sense of awe as the watched it up close..

"This is...!" Cael gasped as he examined the AC closely. Alessia's jaw dropped when she saw what Cael saw.

"The AC you will be piloting if you pass your physical tomorrow," Dr. Vinheim said with a big smile on his face, "hope you like it."

"This is... the White Wolf...!" Cael said.

"When? How?" Alessia asked.

"Is that what you call it?" Dr. Vinheim asked. "Well, I guess that's better than Snowflake."

Dr. Vinheim picked up a tablet that was resting on a table nearby and gave it to Alessia. Alessia looked over the data on it. "We began building it when Mr. Nox woke up. As I said before, I planned on using his skills to pay for the cost of the operation. This AC was made to help him do that. Me, some of my assistants and a few of Omerta's engineers looked over Mr. Nox's data from his past matches. We took our findings and used it to build an AC similar to his White Wolf as you call it. There are a number of changes we made but the concept is overall the same."

"It's top speed is... 130 miles per hour!" Alessia blurted out as she read. "This operating system...! It's structured like ours!".

"Mr. Nox had the key to the White Wolf in his pocket. We were able to learn from that and create an OS of our own based on the structure of the one from the White Wolf. I hope you don't mind," Dr. Vinheim explained.

"T-t-this is great...!" Alessia said as she tried showing the data to Cael. Cael ignored the tablet and looked up to the copy of the White Wolf before him.

"You're quiet, Mr. Nox. I am truly sorry if you dislike the changes we made. It was the best we could do," Dr. Vinheim said apologetically.

"It's..." Cael mumbled at a barely audible volume. Alessia smiled.

"Yeah, he likes it alright!" Alessia said, laughing.


	24. Chapter 9-2

**Act I**

 **Chapter 9-2**

 **?**

Week 1 - Day 4

Crowds of people cheered throughout the arena and all throughout the city as the opening celebrations for the season were underway. People were all vying for good seats to watch one of the wall sized monitors while vendors sold food, toys and other merchandise from their various boothes around the arena. Fans of teams were fighting with their voices, shouting their favorite teams's names at one another and competing to see which team had the best fans. Advertisements for the companies in the Armored Core industry played on many of the large monitors in and around the arena, advertising their newest products. Flying MTs with banners attached to them filled the skies, flying in formation above the city while firing squads of MTs fired at the sky. Some of them fired confetti, some fired streamers and many others were firing fireworks. In the press room inside the arena, teams were interviewed and showcased, some alongside their ACs. Commentators prepared for the event as they set up their stations in preparation for the first match of the official season.

Cael inhaled deeply then exhaled. Alessia laughed, Noland gave the crowd a thumbs up, and Cael scanned the crowd as their picture were taken by photographers. Reporters were clamoring for answers to their questions but Lewis held them at bay. Some of the crowd grew quiet as Solomon Burnes walked over towards the Black Raven pilots. He was accompanied by Laurence Vanderpuye, another pilot of Dread Scythe. The crowd sensed the tension as the pilots of Dread Scythe stood face to face with the pilots of Black Raven for the first time.

"Honestly, I never thought you guys would show up here again after-" Laurence said. Lewis was about to get in between the two teams of pilots but Solomon made a gesture with his hand signaling for Laurencce to be silent.

"What Laurence is trying to say is that we're glad to see that you are better," Solomon said. Laurence laughed a quiet laugh as Solomon continued. "We never got the chance to apologize face to face. You requested your privacy and we decided that respecting your request was just as important as the apology. We are truly sorry for the injuries we inflicted upon you,".

Solomon bowed his head and the crowd grew silent as they waited to see how the Black Raven pilots would respond. Cael clenched his fists but Alessia held his hand. Noland, who was standing behind his teammates, saw how they were reacting and he got in front of them holding his hand out to Solomon. Solomon smiled and shook Noland's hand.

"Accidents happen. We're all alive and that's what counts," Noland said. Noland shook Laurence's hand as well and the crowd cheered.

"Thank you for accepting our apology," Solomon said, "Your match is soon so we'll get out of your way,"

Wait," Cael said as Solomon turned to leave. Cael extended his hand to Solomon who was slightly surprised by the gesture. Solomon smiled and shook Cael's hand.

"I look forward to facing you again," Solomon said, smiling as he shook Cael's hand. Cael didn't respond. With that, Solomon and Laurence took their leave as the members of Black Raven continued on their way to the hangar where their ACs were being kept.

The hangar was one of eight. Each hangar stored several ACs and had large gates that served as entrances into the arena battlefield. Cael and Noland entered the cockpits of their ACs, starting them up.

"I'm surprised ya were that mature 'bout the situation in there." Lewis said.

"I just didn't wanna punch the wrong guy in the face is all," Noland joked.

"Y'all'll only get one resupply since there's two o' ya now. Alessia an' I'll still be able to help ya out as long ya're still in there an' the detection equipment doesn't get destroyed. Y'all're still outnumbered pretty bad. Don't waste ammo an' stick to the plan." Lewis said, coaching his pilot.

"Shouldn't ya be tellin' Cael this stuff?" Noland asked, mimicking his coach's way of talking as he closed his cockpit.

"He doe'n't listen anyway," Lewis sighed as he climbed down from the Black Wolf.

"Stick to that plan and watch Nol's back, okay?" Alessia said. Cael closed his cockpit and Alessia climbed down from the White Wolf II. She and Lewis went to the operator room where they watched the video feed of the battle.

The White Wolf II entered the tunnel that led to the arena battlefield, the Black Wolf followed close behind. A video feed of Noland popped up on the screen in Cael's cockpit. "Can you hear me?" Noland asked.

"Yeah," Cael answered.

"Hit fast,"

"Hit hard,"

The lights in the tunnel went out leaving both ACs in a pitch black darkness. A loud beeping sound began to countdown, synchronized with the number on the display that adorned the gate. Ten... Nine... Eight...

"Here we go..." Noland said. Seven... Six... Five... Cael took a deep breathe. Four... Three... Two...

One...


	25. Chapter 9-3

**Act I**

 **Chapter 9-3**

 **The Fire**

Week 1 - Day 4

Team Qualifiers Round 1

Black Raven vs Fireflies

The gate flew open and the White Wolf II rushed out of it, slightly scrapping the AC's head in the process. The city was empty and it's partially destroyed buildings welcomed the combatants. Cael took in the sight of the city battlefied and the false sky with it's false sun overhead. The White Wolf II sped through the streets of the city, making a beeline towards the center of the battlefield.

"Cael, you're going to far," Noland warned. Cael ignored his friend's warning and pressed forward, turning a corner, then another, then another, as city flew by his screen. He searched the city for the enemy Firefly ACs but he saw no sign of them.

"The center is clear," Cael told Noland.

"You sure?" Noland asked.

"No sign of them," Cael said.

"I'm on my way. Keep an eye out," Noland said. The Black Wolf headed towards the center of the city along a different route than it's comrade and when it had arrived at it's destination, it took cover inside a building. A large capsule dropped from the side of the Black Wolf's cockpit, planting itself on the ground. "Detection equipment set," Noland reported. The capsule opened up to reveal a radar device and the bottom of the capsule used clamps to dig into the ground to keep the radar upright.

"You see anything?" Cael asked.

"One to the north," Noland said, looking at the radar now on his screen inside his cockpit.

"I'll get him," Cael said. The White Wolf II was about to dash off but Noland stopped him.

"No!" Noland shouted, "It's a decoy,"

"I know," Cael said driving the White Wolf II away to the north.

"Not the plan, Cael!" Noland scolded.

"They're gonna try to seperate us anyway," Cael pointed out, "I'll lure it into detection range,"

The White Wolf II approached the edge of the city and Cael could see a Firefly moving from left to right just outside the city. The White Wolf II's hands went down to it's sides where they grabbed the machineguns mounted on it's legs and then Cael took aim at the Firefly that was acting as bait. His AC's computer calculated that the Firefly was out of the machineguns's range.

"Damn..." Cael said. He thought for a moment then said, "Screw it. I'm biting the bait!"

"Cael, don't!" Noland shouted.

The White Wolf II dashed towards the Firefly and the Firefly stopped moving from left to right, moving backwards instead. Cael chased it until he realized he was going too far out into the open.

"Cael..." Noland said, "They're here,"

"What?" Cael asked, confused. "You see them on the radar?"

"No! They're using chaff! The radar's useless. Two of them just passed the building I'm hiding in. Get back here!"

"Damn," Cael cursed. The White Wolf II turned around and headed back towards where the Black Wolf was hiding. Cael was caught off guard by the Firefly that shot at him just as soon as he arrived at the intersection. Cael scoffed as he got the White Wolf II to recover from the surprise attack and ignored the Firefly as he continued heading towards the center of the city.

After a brief second, the White Wolf II did a 180 degree turn and fired one of his machineguns at the Firefly that was pursuing him. Many of his shots landed and Cael could see that he had managed to disable the Firefly's left arm, the arm with the rocket launcher. He had no time to celebrate as the Firefly immediately started firing it's machinegun and rifle in retaliation.

Cael dodged most of the bullets but one of the rifle rounds knocked off the White Wolf II's shoulder armor. Cael retreated around a corner and prepared to fire at the Firefly if it pursued however, he took a hit from behind. The Firefly that had been acting as bait had joined the fight. Cael quickly went around another corner to save himself but on the opposite street, the injured Firefly kept pace with the White Wolf II, firing it's rifle immediately after clearing a building. Cael tried to return fire but realized most of his shots were being blocked by the building.

"Damn...!" Cael said to himself. "Nol! There're two on me!"

"These two're still near me," Noland said. "I have an idea. Go through the building I'm in. Straight through! Don't stop!"

Noland used the mine launchers on the Black Wolf's legs to place mines on the floor of the building he was in. Cael did as Noland asked and made a beeline for the Black Wolf's location. The bait Firefly had taken up position to Cael's right while the injured Firefly was to Cael's left. Realizing his predicament, Cael brought the White Wolf II to an abrupt stop, just before the two Fireflies met at the upcoming intersection and when they saw that the White Wolf II had stopped, they charged down the White Wolf II's street, firing their guns wildly. Cael turned the White Wolf II around and went back the way he came.

"I can't get to you...!" Cael shouted at Noland.

""Ah, screw it. The plan's gone to hell anyway. You still remember how to dance?" Noland asked.

"I might be a bit rusty."

"We'll have to manage. See ya on the dance floor," Noland said. The moment when one of the Fireflies passed the building the Black Wolf was hiding in, Noland fired a barrage of rounds through the wall at it. He then crashed the Black Wolf through a different wall to exit the building and the two Fireflies that had been patrolling the center of the city began pursuing the Black Wolf, firing a barrage of bullets at it.

Noland fired the Black Wolf's back mounted rifle at buildings to create openings. He used the openings to throw off his pursuers and eliminate their speed advantage. He went through the buildings but the pursuing Fireflies didn't follow him in. Instead they went around the buildings and circled them until the Black Wolf emerged, resuming the chase.

The Black Wolf fled, blowing a hole in another building and entering before the pursuing Fireflies caught up. The Fireflies circled the buildin instead of following the Black Wolf in and waited for the BLack Wolf to exit again. Noland blew a hole in the wall from the inside of the building on the wall opposite to the one he entered in causing the Fireflies to converge on that wall anticipating the Black Wolf to rush out but Noland left the way he came. When they realized that they had been decieved, the Fireflies quickly relocated the Black Wolf and continued their pursuit.

"Rookies..." Noland mocked, laughing when he caught sight of the two Fireflies a ways behind him, still pursuing the Black Wol but catching up.

Noland attempted the same maneuver twice but this time one of the Fireflies followed him in however Noland was not attempting to deceive them this time. He blew a hole in the building and entered it, blowing a hole in the wall directly ahead of him and as he made his way to the exit he had created, he launched a mine on the floor. The Firefly that followed him into the building didn't have the space to avoid the mine and it was going too fast to stop. The mine detonated and the Firefly was covered in a thick adhesive that prevented it's wheels from spinning and it's legs from moving. The Firefly skid across the floor, crashing into the wall and the impact put a deep indentation in the AC's Core, causing the AC to shut down.

"One down," Noland said as he caught sight of the second Firefly continuing to pursue the Black Wolf but being cautious of Noland's tactics.

The White Wolf II raced the pursuing Fireflies around the edge of the city while constantly exchanging fire. The bait Firefly broke off from pursuing the White Wolf II directly and when Cael saw this he took the opportunity to return fire to the injured Firefly. Cael grunted as his cockpit shook violently. The bait Firefly had flanked him faster than he anticipated. The White Wolf II was bombarded by the Firefly's bullets and flash rockets. Shaking off his surprise, Cael quickly regained his composure then focused on avoiding the Fireflies' attacks as he continued fleeing from his pursuers.

"Nol...!" Cael cried out.

"Keep it together, Cael...!" Noland shouted.

"Nol!"

"Almost...!"

"Noland!"

"Let's dance!"

The Black Wolf tackled one of the Fireflies pursuing the White Wolf II. The injured Firefly tumbled across the ground violently as Cael turned around and began engaging the bait Firefly. Within seconds the Black Wolf and White Wolf II were engaged in a firefight with the two remaining Firefly ACs. The Fireflies attempted to circle the two wolves but they were moving in a figure eight motion, constantly switching between their two targets while covering one another. When they realized they were at a possible disadvantage, the Fireflies retreated deeper into the city. Cael and Noland were both panting, their blood pumping from the excitement.

"Whoo...!" Noland yelled playfully, "That got hairy!"

"It's not over yet. What happened to the fourth one?" Cael asked.

"Got him with a mine," Noland replied.

"I'm almost out of ammo," Cael said.

"All I got are mines and a few rounds in the rifle. Dam', they shot out one of my wheels," Noland said.

"The gate's on the other side of the city..."

"Think we can make it if we take the long way 'round?"

"They'll have the buildings as cover and pick us off..."

"Really wishin' Alessia was here right now," Noland joked.

"Vai would've been the better choice," Cael laughed. "Hold on..."

The White Wolf II holstered it's machineguns as Cael accessed the AC's weapons systems. Moments later, a blade erupted from it's hidden location in the White Wolf II's arm.

"Whoa... Remind me to ask the doc to fix up the Black Wolf," Noland joked.

"I think I have a plan..." Cael said.

""You? With a plan? This I gotta hear!" Noland mocked.

"You remember those old MT League playbacks Alessia watched of Lewis and her parents?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Trucks ready to go, but..." Lewis said as he entered the operation room. He took a seat next to Alessia and they watched the match.

"The last two Fireflies are ready for them. There's no way they'll make it back to the gate," Alessia said. On the screen, Cael and Noland headed towards the center of the city. The move surprised both Lewis and Alessia. "What're they thinking?" Alessia asked, shouting.

"Looks like they're gonna make a beeline for it..." Lewis said as he stood, "I'll get the truck to the gate -"

"Wait a sec... this is...!" Alessia said. Alessia watched as the White Wolf II took cover inside buildings while the Black Wolf moved through the streets and Lewis stopped to see what Alessia was so worked up about.

"Usin' Nol' as bait... Smart," Lewis said.

"This is the end of Vertex vs Tracers...!" Alessia said in awe.

"What do you mean...?" Lewis asked, confused.

"Look at how they're advancing. It's just like how you and my dad did it,"

"Ya seein' things, Alessia -"

"No...! Get the truck to the gate, quick!"

On the screen, the Black Wolf continued to move in through the streets in the open while the White Wolf II only rarely showed up on camera as it hid in building after building. The Firefly ACs had already spotted the Black Wolf but were hanging back, not engaging.

"They've seen me but they're not shooting," Noland reported.

"They're looking for me," Cael pointed out. "I don't remember everything that happened after they got to the center."

"We'll wing it," Noland said, grinning.

"I'm counting on you," Cael said. The White Wolf II cautiously distanced itself from the Black Wolf and the Black Wolf ducked inside of a building to hide. Noland made his way towards the gate that he and Cael deployed from. The Fireflies knew where he was but they still had not engaged him yet.

"They won't fire at me without knowing where Cael is... smart..." Noland thought aloud.

One of the Fireflies moved towards the gate and the other soon followed. Noland scoffed when he saw this. They were moving slow enough to keep an eye on the Black Wolf while at the same time looking for Cael and keeping them both from reaching the gate for their resupply.

Noland moved the Black Wolf back onto the open street. He could see the Firefly ACs watching him from cover and the gate behind them. One of the two Fireflies acted as a satellite, searching for Cael and the White Wolf II. A minute passed and Noland could see the gate open as the supply truck entered the arena. Noland readied the Black Wolf's back mounted rifle and fired a shot at one of the Fireflies.

The moment that the Black Wolf fired, the White Wolf II dashed from it's hiding place and headed straight towards the supply truck at full speed. The Fireflies ignored the Black Wolf and focused on the White Wolf II. The Fireflies didn't attack the White Wolf II immediately but instead they waited for it to begin resupplying so they could take it out with the league's Ambush Clause.

Cael pressed down hard on the White Wolf's pedals as he made a beeline for the supply truck. The onscreen speedometer clocked the White Wolf II's speed, 116 miles per hour and slowly climbing. Cael could see the Fireflies waiting to attack him but kept going. The White Wolf II slid to a halt as it arrived at the supply truck. That's when one of the Fireflies made their move and approached the White Wolf II at full speed.

"Well I'll be damned..." Noland whispered to himself, "Alex this is your dam' job,"

The Black Wolf fired a shot from it's rifle at the Firefly approaching the White Wolf II. The Firefly began slowing down as it drew closer to the White Wolf but this was a mistake as the White Wolf II hadn't been resupplying. The White Wolf II sped away from the supply truck just as the Firefly was hit by a rifle round from the Black Wolf. This stunned the Firefly temporarily as the White Wolf II closed in on it and stabbed it in the leg with the blade hidden in the White Wolf's arm. Cael quickly finished the Firefly by piercing the Core, then it backed away and sped towards the last remaining Firefly.

Noland fired at the incoming Firefly as he backpedaled but the Firefly dodged the rifle rounds, returning fire with it's machineguns. As it got closer it attempted to use it's flash rockets. Some of the flash rockets managed to disrupt Noland's targeting but Noland continued to backpedal, taking refuge in a building. It was a building that Noland knew the building well.

Noland stopped and held his ground as he was bombarded by machingun fire. The Firefly came to an abrupt halt after seeing that it had followed the Black Wolf into a building where a mine had been planted and attempted to back out of the building just as the White Wolf II tackled it from behind, knocking it into the mine's detonating range. The mine went off and one of the legs of the Firefly was covered in adhesive although the AC was still able to move.

It fired at the White Wolf II but Noland quickly came up and planted a mine on the Core of the Firefly then backpedaled as he detonated it. The Firefly was covered in adhesive but it continued struggling, trying to shoot down the White Wolf II. Cael closed in and cut off the Firefly's arm as Noland shot it's good leg causing the Firefly fall forward, defeated. A loud buzzing sound played throughout the arena. The match was over and Black Raven had won.


	26. Chapter 9-4

**Act I**

 **Chapter 9-4**

 **The Fire**

Week 1 - Day 4

Spectators cheered and crowds of people were in an uproar around the arena as they celebrated the victory of the wolf tag team. "Black Raven," was being chanted all throughout the arena and outside of the arena. Commentators who had been commenting on the match were shouting into their microphones, announcing the victors of the match and going over the details of the fight. Lewis drove the supply truck back into the hangar with the Black Wolf loaded on the back. When they were back in the hangar, Lewis got out of the truck and leaned against it, sighing in relief. Alessia ran out of the operation room and hugged Lewis, crying tears of joy which caused Lewis to laugh hardily. Noland got out of the cockpit of the Black Wolf and jumped down to the floor. When Alessia saw him, she ran over and hugged him too.

"We were the ones getting shot at, why're you crying?" Noland asked when he saw that Alessia was crying.

"Shut up...!" Alessia said, lightly punching her friend. The White Wolf rolled in and it's cockpit opened. Alessia ran over and climbed up to the cockpit where Cael was attempting to get out. "Are you okay?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm fine..." Cael said with a small smile on his face. Alessia helped Cael climb down from the White Wolf II where Noland and Lewis was waiting for them.

The members of Black Raven were surprised by the loud noise that they had not noticed at first. They heard the echoes of all the people who were cheering around the arena but what they were surprised by was the cheering coming from inside the hangar. The pilots and crews of the other teams who were preparing for their own matches had stopped their preparations to applaud the Black Raven members for their success.

"Are you blushing?" Alessia asked Noland when she saw his face turn a little red as he smiled.

Shut up...!" he said, lightly punching his friend. Lewis took a side glance at Cael and Cael returned the glance. Cael grinned and Lewis laughed as he walked back towards the front of the truck.

"Get a move on, we gotta get out o' the way," Lewis said. Noland helped Cael walk as Alessia climbed up the White Wolf II and got into the cockpit to move the AC clear of the tunnel.

Vai lay in her bed watching her TV with a bottle in hand. She scoffed at what she was watching, the ACFL. Black Raven had just won the first match of the season in a two versus four handicap match against team Firefly. She saw her old teammates on TV as they made their way through crowds of cheering fans. She turned the TV off, took a sip from her bottle, turned on her side and fell asleep.

Later that day, team Black Raven, with the exception of Cael, gathered back at their hangar to watch the rest of the day's matches. They would normally do this from a briefing room at the arena but since they could no longer afford to reserve a briefing room they had to do it from the office in the team's hangar. Cael went back to the hospital where Dr. Vinheim could observe him and oversee the White Wolf II's repairs.

Lewis, Noland, and Alessia watched several other matches. Alessia took notes on each of the rookie teams as well as the handful of pro teams that fought. She placed stars next to the rookie teams that could pose a problem to Black Raven if they should have to fight in the next round. She took notes on the tendencies of the various pilots and the strengths displayed by each AC during their matches. Lewis examined each team's strategies and pointed out the ones he found to be uncommon or effective. He also mentioned how he would recommend dealing with certain strategies. Noland watched the fights to find skilled pilots he might encounter, making a mental note of talented rookies and a few of the pros that he wasn't familiar with. He only watched parts of the fights as he was also at work making repairs to the Black Wolf.

"Ya know... I think we'll do decent this season... Even if we only have three pilots," Lewis said to Alessia as she furiously typed notes on her tablet.

"There're mostly rookies in our bracket so we really lucked out. My worries come after the Qualifying Rounds. If we don't have sponsors by the end of Qualifiers, we won't make it pass preliminaries." Alessia said, not taking her eyes off the TV screen as she typed.

"Got plenty o' things goin' against us this time..." Lewis pointed out.

"Yeah..."

"Looks like Dread Scythe's the last fight o' the day," Lewis pointed out.

"Yeah..." Alessia said, still typing.

Noland was hard at work replacing some of the Black Wolf's leg armor. He took a lot of bullets in the match which left several holes in several pieces of the armor and after a short while, he realized that they probably didn't have enough cash to buy replacement armor for every piece. With that in mind, he began to simply pull out the shrapnel of several bullets from pieces of armor that were either insignificant or lightly damaged.

"If money's that tight around here, you could use the shrapnel to reinforce the armor at the cost of some weight imbalance," Alexander's voice said from the hangar door. Noland, surprised, stopped what he was doing and turned to his old teammate who was awkwardly waving at him.

"Hey, Alex. Here to congragulate us?" Noland asked sarcastically as he walked towards his friend.

"Yeah. Heard that you guys pulled an upset, but that's not the only reason I'm here," Alexander replied. Noland walked up to him and hugged him before Alexander continued. "Kinda lost my job at The Line,"

"Kinda? Lost your job? How does that happen? Didn't your dad and his best friend start it up together?" Noland asked, confused.

"It's a long story. I'll explain some other time... but... if you guys have room..."

Alexander was interrupted by another hug from Noland, then a light punch. "Idiot," Noland mocked, "We always got room for a friend. Come on, Coach Clark and Alessia are watching the matches up in the office,".

When Noland walked into the office the first thing he noticed was how still both Alessia and Lewis were. Then he noticed how wide their eyes were, and how pale they seemed to be. He followed their stares to the TV where he saw something that made his eyes widen and a chill creep up his spine. A white and red medium weight bipedal AC stood in the center of a circle of wrecked ACs. Noland counted the Cores present to determine how many ACs there had been and he counted a total of five. He recognized the AC because it's design was similar to the one responsible for severely damaging Cael and Alessia's cockpits. "Is-is... is that..." he stammered, trying to ask a question.

"He... took five out... by himself...!" Lewis said in disbelief.

"It hasn't even been ten minutes..." Alessia thought aloud. Alexander pushed pass Noland to see what was going on and when he had seen the image, his eyes widened as well.

"Dread Scythe...!" Alexander said in shock.

Cael watched the TV and his face expressed his anger in full view of everyone in the room. He had seen the crushing performance by the single white and red Dread Scythe AC. The commentators were expressing their awe with loud words and cheers, praising the performance. Dr. Vinheim placed his hand on Cael's shoulder to calm Cael down but Cael was still furious. Some of the nurses left the room to give Cael his space.

"Solomon..." Cael said under his breathe as he watched Solomon's AC, the Blaze Knight, look towards the hidden camera.


	27. Chapter 10-1

**Act II**

 **Chapter 10-1**

 **?**

Week 1 - Day 7

Lewis and Joe laughed as they walked around the Black Raven hangar taking turns telling jokes. Alexander was hard at work with Noland and Alessia preparing the Blackbird. They were installing a new generator in the four legged AC while Lewis and Joe went up to the office in the hangar where they sat.

"So what do ya say...?" Lewis asked.

""Honestly I don't know what took us so long to go into business together. Wish John coulda lived this long..." Joe said."Shoulda been the three o' us..."

"Yeah... Alex's a lot like his old man though i'n't he...?"

"More than ya know. When I had to fire him he went into a rage. Kid's got a fire in 'im. Just like his mother, and good with his hands like his old man..."

"So ya want it in writin' or...?"

"Cut the formal crap, Lou," Joe said as he extended his hand. Lewis smiled as he shook his old friend's hand.

"On behalf of miss Saint-Claire, I thank ya," Lewis said.

"Oh yeah, I didn't realize that. That pup went and got big on ya. Bet ya didn't see that comin'." Joe joked.

"We both went 'n' got old,"

"You might've gone and got old but I'm still young dammit," Joe joked as Alessia entered the room.

"Just in time," Lewis greeted his boss, "Joe's agreed to the deal."

"Really...?" Alessia asked, excited. She ran over to Joe, hugging him as he and Lewis both laughed.

"Not very business like for a business lady," Joe joked. Alessia stopped hugging him and stood up straight, extending her hand. Joe looked at her and chuckled. "Hug's better," he joked and Alessia continued hugging Joe.

"Ah, a pup's still a pup," Lewis joked.

Cael watched as Dr. Vinheim typed on a table, entering data from various books and papers that lie on top of the table. He could see most of the data Dr. Vinheim was entering because of the size of the table and he saw White Wolf II's image show up on the table screen. Dr. Vinheim was entering data for the White Wolf II, it's replacement parts and what appeared to be upgrades to the design. Cael turned his gaze to his almost completely stripped AC and watched as the crew worked on repairing it.

"It'll be good as new, though the upgrades I have planned for it won't be ready for quite some time..." Dr. Vinheim said as he typed.

"If I ask you a question, will you answer?" Cael asked as he watched the White Wolf II's repairs.

"Well, that would depend on the question," Dr. Vinheim joked.

"I was looking through the White Wolf's weapons system during the match... I saw something, but I didn't really understand what I was looking at..." Cael said.

"Well, Mr. Nox, you are really bad at asking questions," the doctor mocked.

"What is, "Question"?" Cael asked.

"A question about a question?" Dr. Vinheim laughed.

"It was something in the OS. A locked file. The blades weren't mapped to any of the cockpit controls so I had to map them during the fight. That's when I saw it. The locked file, Question."

"Oh you mean that "Question"...!" Dr. Vinheim exclaimed.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Nothing you need to know about. Not now at least."

"... You suck at giving answers," Cael said flatly. He stood up from where he was sitting and began to walk away.

"And where are you going, Mr. Nox?" Dr. Vinheim asked playfully.

""Back to my room," Cael answered.

Vai sat in the chair and waited for the the phone to ring while several other people were already talking to the inmates they had come to visit. A handful of guards stood nearby, observing the visitors and making sure they were not giving signals to the inmates. After a moment, the phone rang and Vai answered it. As she answered, the video screen turned on and a live feed of Charles appeared.

"How are ya, Vai...?" Charles awkwardly asked.

"I still haven't found her. Just came to tell you that," Vai said coldly. She was about to hang up the phone and end the call when Charle's voice rang forth from the phone.

"Wait," he shouted, "wait, wait. Come on. I haven't seen ya in months... please, Vai..."

"What...?" Vai asked, annoyed, as she put the phone back to her ear.

"How are ya?" Charles asked.

"Fine. Is that all?"

"How are those friends of yours? Lewis hasn't been around to see me, so I figured something was up. Well, until I saw him on the TV in the rec area."

"I don't know how they are. Haven't spoken to them..."

"Vai..." Charles pleaded.

"If you're just gonna lecture me, we're done here," Vai said angrily.

"I can't help you any, not when I'm in here, Vai. Don't shut out your friends. They're not in here. They're out there, with you."

"Good-bye, Charles..." Vai said coldly as she ended the call and left.

Days had passed since Black Raven made their deal with The Line. Lewis, Alessia, Noland and Alexander stood at the foot of the Blackbird, admiring their work. The hangar was dark, many of the lights were off and the sky had already darkened outside. The Blackbird had been completed and Black Raven's new crew were off in the corners of the hangar, having drinks as they celebrated their hard work.

"They did better than I thought they'd do," Alexander said sarcastically.

"Considering you did most of the work..." Noland joked.

"The workers who're losing their jobs are counting on us now..." Alessia thought aloud.

"Gettin' col' feet?" Lewis asked.

"No... it's just that... now, we really can't afford to fail..." Alessia answered.

"You mean we could afford to fail before now?" Noland asked sarcastically.

"You know what I meant, jerk." Alessia said.

"We should get some of them working on the Hawk. Gettin' Alex on the field can only help us," Lewis said.

"I'll pass," Alexander said, backing away from his teammates. Their confusion showed on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Alessia asked.

"I mean, no. I'll sign on as a mechanic... but I'm done piloting," Alexander explained.

"But -" Alessia started but she stopped when Lewis put his hand on her shoulder.

"Leave it alone, Alessia. It's his choice," Lewis said, "We need 'im as a mechanic more than anythin'. No sense in scarin' off our best mechanic."

"Thanks," Alexander said as if relieved.

"But we'll still rebuild the Hawk," Lewis said causing Alexander to look confused for a second as Lewis continued, "Just in case ya change your mind."

"I won't," Alexander said.

"But just in case..." Lewis said.


	28. Chapter 10-2

**Act II**

 **Chapter 10-2**

 **?**

Week 2 - Day 4

Team Qualifiers Round 2

Black Raven vs (Unnamed Team 3 tanks, 1 reverse joint)

"Cael!" Alessia yelled as Cael in the White Wolf dashed off towards the center of the city. "He never listens!"

"We just have to back him up," Noland said. The back of the Blackbird detached from the top of the cockpit, revealing that it was a drone. The drone took to the sky and headed along the path the White Wolf took.

"I'm starting too then," Noland said as he drove the Black Wolf into the city. Noland avoided the center of the city, going along the route Alessia and Lewis had mapped out earlier.

"They're here...!" Cael reported to his teammates. He had sighted the enemy, four ACs staying close together. "Three tanks and a lightweight reverse joint,"

"Damn... I'd hoped they'd stick to the two tanks and the two reverse joints..." Alessia thought aloud.

"Does this change the plan?" Noland asked.

"No. The plan hasn't changed but watch out for the third tank," Alessia answered.

The White Wolf dashed straight towards his grouped up opponents and hey opened fire with machine guns the second they saw him. The White Wolf blocked the incoming bullets with the shields on it's elbows. The bullets shattered against the shield, creating sparks and sending sharded metal flying to the sides of the White Wolf.

"Nol...!" Cael called out as he changed the White Wolf's course.

"Got'em...!" Noland said. The Black Wolf revealed it's position at the flank of it's opponents and opened fire with it's back mounted rifle. It landed shots on some of the tank ACs but when the enemy team had caught on, they split their fire between the two wolves. The lightweight reverse joint and a tank attacked Cael while Noland was attacked by the other two tanks. Cael tried to close in on the tank attacking him but the reverse joint was just as fast as the White Wolf. It acted as a sentry for the tank, preventing Cael from attacking the tank without leaving himself open.

"I can't get close," Cael grumbled.

"I'm on it," Alessia said as the Blackbird approached the battle. She stopped when she could see the enemy team with the Blackbird's head camera. She checked the Blackbird's computer to make sure she was at the edge of her AC's handheld rifle and when her targeting computer had confirmed her target, she opened fire.

She fired several shots at the reverse joint to seperate it from the White Wolf. Only her initial shot landed but the subsequent shots missed as the reverse joint AC was dodged her attacks by making use of the hydraulics in it's legs. The reverse joint jumped up to the tops of buildings and several times it jumped off the walls of the buildings all in an effort to dodge the Blackbird's attacks.

Cael took the opportunity to attack the tank but was caught off guard by the back mounted variable cannons on it's back. They had been fired as machinguns but when Cael had drawn close the cannons transformed into their high power, single shot form. Cael dodged one of the rounds but had to block the other with one of his shields. The White Wolf shook violently as it's shield was blown apart.

"Damn...!" Cael shouted, furiously working the White Wolf's controls. "The left arm's blown,"

Noland returned fired at his opponents, weaving the Black Wolf through waves of incoming bullets. He kept his shield up as he dodged but on the occasion that bullets did find him, they shattered against his shield. "I'd help you guys out but I'm a bit preoccupied," Noland joked. Several times he attempted to get close to and go through the tanks but the machinegun fire was too heavy. "I could go around -"

"No! If you do that they'll have time to come after us," Alessia pointed out. She fired several shots at the reverse joint but it continued to dodge her attacks as it targeted Cael. "Can't believe they're rookies...!"

"We'll take them down either way..." Cael mumbled to himself. He made a second charge at the tank but was met with the same welcome. The tank AC fired it's high powered cannons but Cael, predicting the attack, dodged at the last moment. The tank's shots missed the White Wolf, hitting the reverse joint because Alessia had been firing at it and when it had dodged one of her attacks by landing on the ground, it's teammate's cannon's shots hit it in the leg.

Alessia shot the head off the reverse joint, then she shot at it's legs while Cael went straight to the tank after he had dodged it's cannon shots. He detached the White Wolf's shield and brought forth the blade in it's arm, stabbing the tank AC in the joint where the Core met the tank legs. He slashed around the side of the joint until he was sure that the Core was completely seperated from the tank legs.

"Two down...!" Alessia celebrated.

"They're retreating," Noland reported as he fired at the retreating tanks but dared not get too close to follow them.

"I see them with the Sky-Eye. They're headed east," Alessia said, working the controls to the Sky-Eye.

"I'm going after them...!" Cael said. He headed east in pursuit of the remaining two tanks as Alessia followed him.

The remaining two tank ACs found themselves entering a tunnel that led underground. The tunnel was big enough for the two tank ACs to go in side by side but no bigger. Cael chased them into the tunnel but was met with a wall of machinegun fire. He quickly backed out of the tunnel, realizing that his opponents had the advantage. Noland and Alessia caught up, regrouping at the entrance to the tunnel.

"They're in there..." Cael said.

"This is new..." Noland said flatly.

"It's been two years, did you expect them to rebuild the place just like it was?" Alessia asked sarcastically.

"We'll get shredded if we go in there after them," Noland pointed out.

"What do we do, Alessia?" Cael asked.

"We could get them to waste their ammo," Noland suggested.

"No, that wouldn't work. I bet they'd just wait until we were within a certain range before they even fired," Alessia argued.

"Shouldn't we at least try?" Noland asked.

"We're running out of time. In five minutes the match'll go to decision..." Cael pointed out.

"If only the Blackbird was fully armed..." Alessia said, thinking out loud.

"Do you think we'd win if it went to decision?" Noland asked. Alessia looked up information on the match and viewed the stats for each team. She sighed when she'd seen the data.

"We shot down two of their ACs but thanks to all the shots they've been landing with those machineguns we'll lose by a technicality..." Alessia said. "Each AC is worth 100 points, max. Landing confirmed hits gains you anywhere from .5 to 10 points depending on the weapon but those points count towards the 100 point max per AC. Since there're three of us, the max they could get is 300 points. Which they've done by landing 300 shots with their machinguns. We've only earned a little over 200 points..."

"So we really do have to take them down..." Noland said.

"At least one, then we could get them in the tie breaker...!" Alessia said.

"This is cheap!" Noland shouted, angrily. "Damn rookies!"

"Cheap but effective. This must've been their plan from the start..." Alessia said.

"Less than four minutes..." Cael pointed out.

"Not enough time to search for another tunnel entrance... It's all or nothing!" Alessia shouted. The Sky-Eye returned to it's resting position on the Blackbird as Alessia backed her AC away from the tunnel. "Okay, here's the plan. Noland will lead, then me, then Cael. We'll move on the right side. Noland, keep your shield raised no matter what. You have to get us most of the way. I'll have the Blackbird push you and the White Wolf will be pushing me. When the Black Wolf's core is compromised, you'll have a split second to move to the left side, out of the Blackbird's way. I'll act as Cael's shield for the rest of the way. Cael, you'll have to take them down on your own. At least one of them."

"As good a plan as any..." Noland said, grinning.

"Just get me there..." Cael said.

The Black Wolf entered the tunnel, followed by the Blackbird and finally the White Wolf. They dashed full speed into the tunnel, staying in a straight line and just as Alessia had predicted, the two tanks waited until the Black Raven ACs had gotten some ways into the tunnel before they opened fire. Wave after wave, volley after volley, bullets rained against the Black Wolf's shield. The shield was not as big as the Black Wolf, however, and many of the bullets hit other parts of Noland's AC.

Many bullets bounced off of the shield but hit the Black Wolf anyway. Some of them even hit the Blackbird behind the Black Wolf and The Black Wolf's cockpit shook violently from the force of the bullets hitting it. Noland's screen flickered and alarms sounded, letting him know that the Core was taking damage. An alarm sounded, louder than the others, letting Noland know that the Black Wolf's Core had been compromised and that it's engine had been damaged. Noland moved the Black Wolf to the left lane just before the Black Wolf's forced deactivation disabled the AC. It rolled for a while before falling, skidding across the road as the Blackbird and White Wolf flew by.

"Noland...!" Alessia called out.

"Focus, Alessia!" Cael scolded.

Alessia pressed on the pedals as hard as she could, causing the Blackbird to accelerate and gain a bit more speed. The bullets were now hitting the Blackbird head on. It's cockpit shook even more violently than Noland's had, as a result of not having a shield and being closer to the source of the shots. Instead of a shield, she position the Blackbird's arms in a boxer's guard position but it didn't help much. When the bullet's pierced the arms's armor and hit certain parts, the arms dropped from their guarding position. After a few seconds, the Blackbird's alarms sounded, and seconds after that the AC was forcibly deactiated. Alessia moved the Blackbird over to the left lane and it met the same fate as the Black Wolf.

The bullets were now raining on Cael and the White Wolf. He was close to the tank ACs but just outside his blade's range. Time slowed in Cael's eyes. It was a strange moment of calm. He heard his heart beating, fast and loud. He heard himself breathing slowly and felt himself holding his breathing in, hyperventilating. He felt the controls of the White Wolf in his hands and noticed how perfect they felt as his hands gripped them. The pedals of the White Wolf felt like they were unmoving stones or metal. He watched as bullet after bullet came at him and it was then in that moment of calm, that he noticed something.

"They're focusing fire...!" Cael shouted as he moved to the left lane, in front of the tank AC on the left side. He'd dodged a volley of bullets in that moment as he impaled the tank AC in the joint that connected the Core with the tank legs. The impact pushed the tanks backwards and the AC was disabled from the damage it had suffered

The last tank attempted to turn to face the White Wolf but Cael had already pulled his blade from the disabled AC. The blade was broken but the White Wolf still had it's machinegun on it's legs. Cael grabbed the machingun and dashed in close to the final opponent, firing his machingun at point blank range where the Core and the tank legs were connected. Seconds later, the match was over.

The tank last tank AC had been disabled. Cael had won. Black Raven had won.


	29. Chapter 10-3

**Act II**

 **Chapter 10-3**

 **The New Suns**

Week 2 - Day 5

The hangar was buzzing with activity and the workers laid off from the line were hard at work fixing the team's ACs that had been damaged in previous day's battles. Alexander was coordinating the effort on the floor while Noland was directing people from the catwalk that lead to the office. The hangar smelled of metal, oil, and sweat. The various machines that now filled the hangar could be heard as the new crew used them to do whatever task the machines were designed to do. A loud metallic bang echoed throughout the hangar as the armor on the front of the Black Wolf's Core hit the floor and Noland looked to Alexander who was shaking his head at the sight. Noland made his way down from the catwalk to catch up with Alexander who was heading over to the Black Wolf.

"You guys wrecked the ACs," Alexander said, directing workers to assignments as he passed them.

"We had to. Loosing to rookie teams won't look good on the resume," Noland joked.

"We're stripping the Black Wolf down but it's not like we can replace all it's armor. It's Tesla Engine got hit an the bullets really screwed up the wiring. Same story across the board," Alexander said as he and Noland arrived to at the Black Wolf.

"Can you fix it?" Noland asked, concerned.

"Yeah but it'll be a quick fix to get you into the next fight. It's performance'll suffer a lot,"

"I'll manage. As long as it can move and shoot-"

"That'll be all it can do..." Alexander interruppted. Noland left Alexander to his work and went up to the office where Lewis was going over the recordings of Black Raven's next opponent.

"Where's Alessia?" Noland asked as he sat.

"Alessia's at a meeting, trying to get us sponsors," Lewis told him..

"Oh yeah, she's the owner now..." Noland thought aloud. Lewis sighed as he put the next recording on the TV.

"We're in a tight spot, Nol. We need sponsors... soon. ACs can only get patched up so many times. And that last fight hit'em hard," Lewis said.

"I know. We all agreed before the match that losin' this early in the season would turn away sponsors," Noland reminded his coach.

"It ain't helpin' us that Alessia's attention's divided between managing the team and helpin' to plan our battles. Sooner we get our financial troubles settled, the better,"

"Agreed..." Noland said, "So what's the deal with these guys?"

Lewis and Noland watched one of the past matches of their next opponents. A rookie team, the New Suns. The team had a medium weight bipedal, armed with two shotguns and a chaingun on it's back. There was also a tank AC, covered in armor and packing two cannons on it's back. A heavy reverse joint was the third AC the team deployed and it carried a large weapon in it's hand although Noland couldn't tell what it was. It also carried a shield on it's elbow along with a rifle mounted on it's back.

"What weapon is that?"Noland asked, pointing to the large weapon in the heavy reverse joint's hand.

"A new weapon Summit Industries developed. Supposed to be some new cannon that any AC can use," Lewis informed him.

"Is it any good?" Noland asked. curious about the weapon. Lewis pulled up the recording he had been watching earlier. It was a five on three battle between the New Suns and another rookie team. Lewis skipped through the match until he got to the part where the heavy reverse joint began taking a more active role in the battle.

Two of the enemy ACs chased the New Suns' bipedal through the streets while the heavy reverse joint jumped off it's tank legged ally and onto a building. The heavy reverse joint planted it's feet on the roof and Noland watched in awe as the weapon unfolded, popping a large barrel into place. A bipod fell from the bottom of the barrel to help elevate the cannon barrel, completing the weapon's transformation.

The New Suns' bipedal made a sudden and sharp turn down a road, heading toward the reverse joints. The enemy ACs followed the bipedal and within a second, one of the enemy ACs had had both it's legs blown off in a single shot. The second enemy AC got cold feet and tried to retreat but the bipedal didn't allow it's opponent to flee. The New Suns' bipedal rushed the enemy AC, drawing it's fire and in a clever move, the bipedal got around it's enemy, putting it's enemy in the reverse joint's line of sight. The match had ended shortly after that thanks to a second shot from the reverse joint's cannon and the recording ended.

"Is it any good...?" Lewis asked sarcastically.

"They don't fight like rookies... at all..." Noland said, still in awe.

"They're talented an' with teamwork like that, I'm guessin' they got a pretty good coach..." Lewis sighed.

"A fight like this, this early on...? We really might not win this one..." Noland said.

"I can teach teamwork, coordination, and common sense, but strategy was never my strong suit. That's one of the reasons why I brought Alessia on. To help with the strategy. We need her to focus on the battles more..."

"But she can't because she has to manage the team..."

The two of them sighed.

"I'm sorry, miss Saint-Claire, but we just cannot sponsor your team. Not in the current state of affairs," said one of the men sitting at the long table. Most of the people there were old but some of them were just a few years older than Alessia.

"We're sponsoring three other teams already. One of which is Dread Scythe, the team that beat Black Raven two years ago in a off season exhibition and now they are the current champions," one of the older women said.

"And not to mention that last fight of yours... Black Raven's ACs were heavily damaged in that fight. If we sponsor your team, we'd have to throw a large amount of resources at you from day one. We just can't do that," another man said. A silence took hold of the room as Alessia processed what the people were saying to her.

"Thank you all for hearing me out," Alessia said humbly as she stood and gathered her things.

"Thank you for considering, Summit Industries as a potential sponsor. It's an honor and we are truly sorry that we cannot give you the sponsorship," the man at the other end of the table said.

Alessia left the room and made her way out of the building. She went to the parking deck and headed to her car. She got in her car and sat there for a moment then screamed.

"Stupid pricks! I hate this fucking job!" she screamed. She made several other unintelligble comments out of anger and when the anger was out of her system, she turned her car on then drove out of the parking deck onto the street. She set her GPS to the team hangar and sat back in her seat as the car drove itself.

Cael walked on the treadmill as Dr. Vinheim and his assistants observed. Some of them pointed things out in the data Cael was producing but when they got too loud Dr. Vinheim would gesture for them to be silent. After a few minutes, Cael stopped walking and got off the treadmill, sweating and tired. Dr. Vinheim went to his side and gave him a towel.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Vinheim asked.

"Tired..." Cael said in between his panting.

"Do you feel any dizziness or discomfort or...?" Dr. Vinheim continued questioning.

"No..."

"Is there any pain where the Navis is? Or any unpleasant feeling?"

"No."

"Is there-"

"No, no, and no," Cael interrupted. Dr. Vinheim laughed.

"My last question would've been to ask if you wanted me to tell you what "Question" is but..."

"Not funny, doctor." Cael said flatly.

"Well, I'm laughing...!" Dr. Vinheim joked.

When Cael had showered, he went down to where the White Wolf was being repaired. Dr. Vinheim was already down there, overseeing the repairs and inputing data into the table computer. The White Wolf's armor had been stripped off and it was being disassembled. Cael watched as the crew took out the White Wolf's Tesla Engine and he gasped slightly. Dr. Vinheim heard Cael and answered the question that he assumed was on Cael's mind.

"That's a Tesla engine I developed... with the help of some of Omerta's best engineers of course," Dr. Vinheim said.

"Why does it look like that?" Cael asked, shocked by the Tesla engine. Unlike the cylinder shaped engines he was familiar with, the Tesla engine Dr. Vinheim had developed looked skeletal, like several spines had been attached to one another with smaller spines.

"Well, I was on a timer when making it. I had to study the theory behind the Tesla engines and didn't have much time to study the engines themselves. The result was the White Wolf's engine. It works and it's efficient. Hard to repair, not that good looking, mind you, but it meets the standards of the ACFL," Dr. Vinheim explained.

"There're a lot of parts I don't recognize..." Cael pointed out.

"Yes, well, we decided to build a lot from scratch. There weren't many parts we could choose from to get the White Wolf the performance numbers we were aiming for,"

"So you can fabricate your own parts?"

"Well, yes. The benefits of working with Omerta Sciences, I suppose. We can't just make anything though. If only..."

"So this means that the White Wolf II is-"

"A completely unique AC, designed from the ground up specifically for you, Mr. Nox," Dr. Vinheim said as he laughed. Cael grinned from ear to ear as he watched the crew work on the White Wolf.


	30. Chapter 10-4

**Act II**

 **Chapter 10-4**

 **The New Suns**

Week 2 - Day 7

"These are... completely new parts...!" Alessia gasped. She was looking through the data on the New Suns ACs. She was surprised by what she was seeing as she played and studied several recordings of the New Suns, trying to get a grasp of just what the rookie team was capable of. Lewis and Noland sat at the table, waiting for Alessia to finish her initial analysis of the New Suns. Cael was at the hospital with Dr. Vinheim and Alexander was busy overseeing repairs of the ACs.

"That cannon's range is... and the mid-weight's reaction time... and the tank's armor..." Alessia said.

"Yeah, that's 'bout the same's our reaction..." Lewis said sarcastically.

"Can we beat them?" Noland asked.

"Neutralize the bipedal... no, the reverse joint... but then the bipedal would..." Alessia thought, "ARGH!"

"Keep ya head, Alessia," Lewis warned, "If ya lose it, we're done."

"I know, I know..." Alessia said, calming herself, "it's just that... these guys are pro level, and their ACs are far superior to ours..."

"Don't let it frustrate ya. AC tech's bound to've taken a few leaps since ya were on the scene but all tech has it's weaknesses. Find theirs," Lewis advised, trying to encourage Alessia. Alessia continued looking through the data, groaning every time one of her ideas led to nothing in her head. She did that for the next fifteen minutes before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Whatever weaknesses their ACs have, they make up for with their tactics..." Alessia said, pushing her tablet away. "If we had a simulator we could at least train against their old data but... ugh!"

"They have to have some opening," Noland said, looking through Alessia's data.

"The reverse joint's cannon is mounted on a bipod. If we could take out the bipod we could reduce the reverse joint's threat... but without Alex sniping, we'd have to get close," Alessia explained.

"And they've got a formation in case we target the reverse joint," Lewis said, guessing what was on Alessia's mind.

"Exactly. Two, actually. One where the bipedal acts as a sentry, the other where the tank does it. Either way, we can't get close because we'll be in the crosshairs of that cannon the whole time..." Alessia said.

"Can't we hit it's flank or something?" Noland asked.

"Wouldn't work. That tank has better detection equipment than the Blackbird on the sides of the tank legs. The reverse joint has some pretty good detection equipment too, on it's back," Alessia said.

"So there's really nothing we can do...?" Noland asked.

"We can gamble it all on Cael. If he gets rid of the bipedal, we might stand a chance," Alessia said bringing up data on the New Suns' bipedal.

"But...? What's the catch?" Noland asked.

"That pilot's 'bout as good as Cael," Lewis interjected, "if they go at it, it's a toss up as to who'll come out on top... if they don't take each other out that is..."

"No, Cael would lose. If they go toe to toe, that reverse joint'd focus on Cael," Alessia corrected her coach.

"We could use that! Cael draws the cannon's fire and we go in-" Noland said but Alessia interrupted him.

"I already thought of that. The tank'd stop us, or at least slow us down long enough for the reverse joint to target us..." she said.

"Well then we split up and-"

"Force three one-on-one skirmishes..." Lewis said, looking at Alessia, "could that work?"

"The reverse joint's never had to fight at close range in any of New Suns' exhibitions... It could work... but who'd fight who?" Alessia asked.

"Cael vs the bipedal is a given..." Lewis pointed out.

"The tank has a lot of fire power but it's slow... I could take it, I think," Noland said, volunteering.

"Which means I'd have to fight the reverse joint..." Alessia mumbled to herself.

"So we have a battle plan?" Lewis asked.

"As good as it'll get," Alessia said.

"Then we need to figure out how we'll force the matchups we're aiming for..." Lewis said.

Three short days later, Dr. Vinheim wore a wide smile. Cael stood looking up at the White Wolf, his mouth wide open as he stared at the White Wolf in awe. Dr. Vinheim put his hand on Cael's shoulder to snap Cael out of his shock. He held the key to the White Wolf out and waited for Cael to take it. Cael took the key and held it in his hands, staring at it for a moment until a loud click drew his attention back to the White Wolf. It looked completely different than it did the previous week with less armor and more weapons. The design was streamlined, no longer bulky and rugged like the original White Wolf or Noland's Black Wolf.

"The result of most of the data we gathered from you. It's a bit rushed though." Dr. Vinheim said with a smile.

"This is... the White Wolf?" Cael asked in awe.

"The White Wolf III," Dr. Vinheim said, gesturing for one of his assistants to bring him his tablet. Dr. Vinheim pulled up the White Wolf III's data and showed it to Cael who looked through the data on the tablet, his eyes widening every second. "The auxillary parts we had planned had to take a back seat so the AC is still technically unfinished but, this is as good as it'll get... Cael... if you wreck it this time, that's it. My backers at Omerta Sciences aren't happy about the amount of resources I've thrown at this project... They want returns on their investment, so I need you to win, cleanly. Understood?"

"Yes..." Cael said after taking a moment to take in all that Dr. Vinheim had said.

"Good," Dr. Vinheim cheerfully said, "care to take the tour?"

Dr. Vinheim showed Cael all the weapons and systems the White Wolf III had at it's disposal. "Most of the frame was replaced with lighter versions. It's lightly armored but we noticed that by the time you were taking heavy damage you were planning on going down anyway. Two shotguns stored on the back. We noticed your inclination to close combat. Two machineguns stored on the legs. They have slightly improved range over the old ones. Two shields, mounted on the shoulders to keep your arms free. We noticed how... inept, you are at the concept of defense. The shields can be purged just like any weapon though. Watch out for the shoulders. We had to sacrifice shoulder armor for the shields's mobility. The blades are no longer stored in the arms unfortunately. We couldn't put them there and keep the frame at the target weight. Instead, there are swords stored next to the shotguns, single edged and reinforced back. There are wheels on back of the cockpit in case you get knocked on your back. With everything equipped, about a 90 miles per hour top speed. Without any weapons, a 140 top speed. Well... what do you think?"

Cael said nothing, just looked at the White Wolf III. Dr. Vinheim chuckled as he cleaned his glasses off. "I like it too," Dr. Vinheim said.


	31. Chapter 10-5

**Act II**

 **Chapter 10-5**

 **The Wolf and the Sun**

Week 3 - Day 4

The people in the crowd cheered for the pilots of Black Raven as they made their way to the hangar where their ACs were stored. Photographers took pictures of Alessia, Noland, and Cael as they walked while reporters held their recording devices out in hopes of having one of the three pilots answer their questions. The Black Raven pilots ignored most of the people but did occasionally wave and smile at them. Cael neither smiled nor waved but instead he looked around the room, searching. They entered into the hangar where Lewis was waiting for them.

"The ACs are all prepped. Dr. Vinheim really outdid himself this time huh, Cael?" Lewis laughed. Alessia and Noland looked at Lewis, confused, not knowing what he was talking about. Cael grinned subtley as they headed to their AC's stations.

"Cael...!" an unfamiliar voice called out. It was the voice of a young woman by the sound of it and the Black Raven members were surprised by it. "Cael...!" the voice called out again. The Black Raven members looked around the hangar, searching for the source of the voice and it was Noland that spotted the woman who the voice belonged to.

"Who's she?" Noland asked, pointing to the woman running towards them.

"Do you know her?" Alessia asked. Cael examined the woman for a moment then shook his head, no, and kept walking.

"Must be a fan..." Lewis said as he scratched his head, "How'd she get back here?"

"She's in a pilot's uniform," Noland pointed out. The woman had arrived in front of Cael, panting after her run.

"Cael, it's me...!" she said as if Cael knew her. Cael ignored her and kept walking towards the White Wolf's station. Lewis followed him and the woman's disappointment showed on her face.

"Hi, I'm Alessia," Alessia greeted the woman, holding her hand out. The woman shook her hand and smiled.

"I'm Eliza," the woman said, introducing herself.

"Noland," Noland said, shaking Eliza's hand.

"Nice to meet you!" Eliza said enthusiastically before turning her head to Cael. "That is Cael, right? Cael Nox?"

"Yeah. Do you know him?" Alessia asked.

"I doubt I'd ever forget him," Eliza said cheerfully as she regained her breathe.

"How do you know him?" Alessia asked.

"He didn't seem to know you..." Noland pointed out and Alessia quickly hit him with her elbow.

"I'm a bit sad but it's no big deal. He hasn't seen me in years. I look way different now than when I was a kid," Eliza said.

"You... knew Cael when you were... a child?" Alessia asked confused. A small smile crossed Eliza's face.

"He's... my brother, I guess," she said, blushing a little bit.

"Cael has a sister...?" Noland asked, surprised and shouting the question.

"You're from one of his foster families...!" Alessia concluded.

"Bingo...!" Eliza said, snapping her fingers. Alessia wrapped her arms around Eliza and hugged her tight.

"It's so nice to meet you!" Alessia exclaimed right before the five minute alarm echoed throughout the hangar, breaking Alessia's hold on Eliza.

"Gotta go! We'll talk after the match!" Eliza said, running off towards the other entrance to the hangar.

"Wait, what...?" Alessia asked, somewhat baffled by Eliza's abrupt departure.

"She's... a pilot for New Suns," Noland said in awe. Alessia watched Eliza as she ran out of the hangar and noticed the New Suns emblem on her back.

"We're fighting her!" Alessia exclaimed.

"Hurry up you two!" Lewis yelled from the Black Wolf's station platform prompting Alessia and Noland to run to their ACs. They quickly prepped their ACs and made sure everything was functioning properly.

"Cael, do you know who that was?" Alessia asked over a communications channel.

"Should I?" Cael asked flatly.

"That was your sister...!" Alessia yelled at her teammate. "How can you not recognize your own sister?"

"Because I don't have a sister," Cael told her.

"Which AC do you think she's in?" Noland asked.

"Probably the reverse joint. She just proved that she can hit you hard outta nowhere," Noland joked.

The three Black Raven ACs made their way into the tunnel where they waited for the match to start and the gate to open. The White Wolf went in first, followed by the Black Wolf and then the Blackbird. The lights in the tunnel went out as the time to start came closer and closer to zero. The ten second countdown began. 10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2...


	32. Chapter 10-6

**Act II**

 **Chapter 10-6**

 **The Wolf and the Sun**

Week 3 - Day 4

Team Qualifiers Round 3

Black Raven vs New Suns

When the gate opened the White Wolf dashed out of the tunnel going fast from the start and the other Black Raven ACs followed it out. The Black Wolf went to the right and the Blackbird went to the left. Cael went towards the center of the city while his comrades went along the edges of the city. They searched carefully for their opponents, being cautious and using the buildings to cover their advance. After a few minutes had passed and they had seen no signs of the New Suns ACs, the Black Raven pilots held their positions, hiding in buildings.

"Alessia...?" Noland said, awaiting his teammate's response to the situation.

"The bipedal's usually engaging enemy ACs by now..." she thought aloud.

"Cael...?" Noland called.

"Haven't seen them..." Cael reported.

"They're using a different strategy then..." Alessia concluded, "I'm deploying the Sky-Eye,"

The Sky-Eye detached from the top of the cockpit as Alessia switched over to it's control stick and directed the drone outside of the building she was hiding inside. She took the drone to a high enough altitude so that she could see just about all of the city and examined every inch of the video feed from the Sky-Eye, searching for any signs of movement in the city. "I... I don't see them at all..." Alessia informed her comrades.

She moved the drone around the city, searching for any signs of the New Suns ACs while Cael and Noland waited for Alessia to find their targets, keeping their ACs stationary. After a minute of waiting, Cael began tapping on the White Wolf's control sticks with his fingers. More time passed and he began tapping his foot on the floor beside the White Wolf's pedals as he waited.

"Cael, no!" Alessia shouted as she saw the White Wolf emerge from it's hiding place. A moment later, the feed from the Sky-Eye went black. In the corner of his screen, Cael could see the wreckage of the Sky-Eye, falling from the sky and drove the White Wolf in the direction of the falling drone.

A thunderous boom from behind and the collapsing wall of a building let Cael know that his enemy was now behind him. He spun the White Wolf around to face the tank AC that had began to fire on him and he immediately moved the White Wolf's shields into a forward facing position to guard him from the bullets. The tank AC advanced on Cael and Cael moved backwards attempting to keep his distance.

"Cael's under fire!" Noland informed Alessia as he piloted the Black Wolf out of it's hiding place. He went to Cael's position, attempting to flank the tank AC but he was immediately intercepted by the bipedal as it emerged from it's hiding place, firing it's machinguns. Noland blocked some of the bullets with his shield but he was caught off guard by the attack and as a result, he took several direct hits. He attempted to back away from the enemy bipedal but it was persistent as it chased the Black Wolf while firing it's machineguns.

Alessia had brought the Blackbird out of hiding and was heading towards the fight to assist her teammates. A loud alarm and a shaking cockpit let her know that she'd been hit by something. A diagnosis screen appeared in the bottom right corner of her screen, letting her know that the back right leg of the Blackbird had suffered severe damage. "The reverse joint...!" she thought aloud, instinctively crashing the Blackbird into a building to take cover from the reverse joint's cannon. "They waited for us to... no..." Alessia mumbled to herself, "they waited for Cael..."

Cael managed to break away from the tank AC's line of sight then he attempted to approach from his enemy's flank but was surprised when he was met with a wall of machingun fire. He quickly retreated back into cover as machingun bullets bounced off the White Wolf's shields.

The bipedal attacking the Black Wolf dodged almost all of The Black Wolf's attacks while simultaneously firing and landing it's own as it advanced. The shots that Noland did land were minor shots from the Black Wolf's machinegun and did little to stop the enemy AC. The bipedal dodged left, then right, spun left, dodged right and all while it continued advancing, returning fire the whole time.

"That movement pattern is...!" Noland exclaimed. He backed the Black Wolf around a corner, trying to break his opponent's line of sight but loud booms caused Noland to panic. He turned the Black Wolf around just as the enemy bipedal burst out of the building, appearing in front of the Black Wolf and continuing it's attack. "That dodging pattern, straightfoward and relentless offense... just like Cael...!" Noland said to himself, thinking out loud. "Eliza...!"

"Damn...!" Alessia said as she went through the Blackbird's systems. One of the Blackbird's legs had been blown off at the joint and a second leg was jammed up due to the impact from crashing into the building. "Guys, I can't move!"

"A bit busy...!" Noland said, doing his best to keep up with Eliza. She was manuevering her bipedal AC skillfully, dodging almost all of the Noland's attacks. Noland, realizing that he was at a severe disadvantage, tried to retreat but Eliza was steadfast in her pursuit of him.

"Cael...!" Alessia called out.

Cael groaned as he attempted to get around the tank AC in order to get to his allies but the tank AC was efficient at holding him back. Seeing that he wouldn't be able to get around the tank AC, Cael screamed in frustration before turning the White Wolf's back to the tank AC and dashing away at full speed. "I have to go around," he told his comrades.

Alessia brought up a tactical map of the arena city on her screen. She began tracking the White Wolf and Black Wolf's locations. She entered in some data into the keypad and brought up the locations of her teammates in the past few minutes of the match. "Noland, can you get to here?" she asked, sending coordinates to Noland.

"I can try... but..." Noland said, just as Eliza tackled him and shot the Black Wolf's head as she backed away. Noland used the time it took her to retreat to retreat himself, breaking line of sight and heading towards the coordinates Alessia had sent him. "She took out the left camera...!"

"Cael, can you get here?" Alessia asked, sending Cael coordinates. Cael pushed the White Wolf to it's full speed as he made his way to the coordinates Alessia had sent.

"If you have a plan, Alessia..." Noland said, his voice trailing off as Eliza chased the damaged Black Wolf. She had found the Black Wolf and resumed the chase shortly after Noland managed to escape.

"Cael, keep an eye out for the reverse joint. I need to know where he's firing from...!" Alessia ordered.

When Cael got close to the coordinates Alessia had sent, somehing impacted the ground in front of the White Wolf and bits of the road flew around in all directions. Cael continued full speed through the light smoke from the impact and searched his screen for the flash from the reverse joint's cannon, waiting for it to fire again. He saw it and braked abruptly just as he heard the thunderous boom from the cannon. Less than a second later, the ground some distance ahead of him shattered from the impact of the cannon's bullet. "I see him. I'm goin' after him!" Cael told Alessia.

"No..!" Alessia ordered, "get to the coordinates and don't get hit...!"

Cael followed Alessia's orders, continuing to the Alessia's coordinates while keeping his shield facing towards where the reverse joint was firing from. Noland dodged many of Eliza's shots, turning to face her and blocking with his shield when he felt that he wouldn't be able to dodge in time, then turning back around. After a minute, Noland finally arrived at Alessia's coordinates but was surprised to see that it was just a thin road with buildings on both sides.

"I won't be able to dodge...!" Noland told Alessia as he drove the Black Wolf onto the road, turning the Black Wolf to face the pursuing Eliza and backing the Black Wolf through the narrow buildings. Eliza chased him, firing bursts from her machineguns but Noland kept the Black Wolf's shield raised, returning fire in between Eliza's bursts. Bullets from one of Eliza's bursts managed to hit one of the Black Wolf's wheels causing Noland to lean the Black Wolf forward to keep the AC from falling backwards but Eliza wasn't finished. She continued shooting, managing to hit the Black Wolf's shoulder joint several times and, as a result, the Black Wolf dropped it's machinegun as it's arm fell to the AC's side, disabled.

"Alessia, I have to use the mines...!" Noland said, preparing to launch the Black Wolf's adhesive mines.

"Stick to the plan, Noland!" Alessia yelled.

"Sorry, Alessia..." Noland said as he was about to fire the mines and, in that split second, the Black Wolf passed a building with a giant hole in the wall with the Blackbird resting inside. Another split second later, Eliza's AC came in full view of the Blackbird and the second it had, Alessia fired a shot from her rifle. The shot was aimed at Eliza's Core but she tried to dodge the attack by spinning around which caused Alessia's shot to hit the bipedal's shoulder.

The force of the impact knocked Eliza's AC into the building, causing the AC to crash, violently. The bipedal's inertia caused it to crash through the walls of several adjacent buildings before coming to a stop. Noland stopped the Black Wolf, shocked at what had just unfolded. "Nice shot!" Noland said, praising his teammate.

"Cael, where're you going...?" Alessia asked, noticing Cael was no longer making a beeline toward the coordinates she gave him.

Cael piloted the White Wolf towards the reverse joint's location while dodging several of the reverse joint's cannon shots as he made his approach. As he got closer, the cannon shots became harder and harder to dodge. Cael managed to narrowly dodge some of the shots as they grazed the White Wolf.

"Damn him...! He's not going to the coordinates I sent him...!" Alessia shouted.

"What do we do now...?" Noland asked, running a quick diagnostic of the Black Wolf. The tank AC had begun opening fire on the Black Wolf, surprisng Noland. He quickly drove the Black Wolf out of the way and into cover.

"We hope Cael gets here before the tank rips us to shreds..." Alessia said as the tank advanced on Noland and with the Blackbird unable to move, she was unable to support the Black Wolf.

Cael reached the building where the reverse joint had been perched and he circled the building after realizing he had no way to get to the AC when he saw that ramp inside the building that lead to the second floor had been destroyed. In a desperate attempt to get to the AC, Cael began ramming the building's corners shield first, hoping to collapse the building. After knocking out three of the building's corners, the roof of the building began to collapse but not before the reverse joint leaped onto another rooftop. Cael groaned, pointing the White Wolf towards where his teammates were and dashing towards them at full speed. The reverse joint fired it's cannon at the White Wolf as it headed towards it's comrades and dodging several of the cannon attacks, turning sharp corners to get into cover moments before the cannon shots would hit him.

Noland did his best to fight off the tank AC but the Black Wolf's damaged wheel made it difficult for him to keep up with the tank. Noland was forced to have the Black Wolf drop it's shield as it had become far too mangled to give any defensive benefits to the AC any longer. Volleys of machinegun bullets flew towards the Black Wolf which Noland managed to avoid most of, to his own surprise, but he did still take a few direct hits.

The hits he did take, did considerable damage to whatever they hit and several alerts filled the left side of Noland's screen, showing him all the parts of the Black Wolf that were damaged or at great risk. One of them told Noland that the Black Wolf's Tesla engine's output was down twenty seven percent. The effects of decreased output were showing as the Black Wolf became slower and more difficult to control. Noland managed to get the Black Wolf back to Alessia's locations.

"It's now or never," Noland said to Alessia.

"Give 'em here," Alessia told him as she finished reworking the Blackbird's systems.

Cael arrived came within sight of the battle between the Black Wolf and the tank AC. The two ACs went down the road, behind a building that blocked Cael's view of what happened next. Cael turned the corner and drove the White Wolf onto the road where the Black Wolf was fighting the tank AC. He turned just in time to see the Blackbird, tackling the tank AC and detonating the Black Wolf's mines. Cael was shocked at what he saw but he didn't let it distract him from what he had rushed over to this location to do. He drew one of the White Wolf's swords and drove it into the joint between where the tank legs connected to the Core and the sound of the tank AC's Tesla engine quieted as the AC powered down.

"Alessia, you okay?" Noland asked.

"Yeah, but it looks like I'm done," she replied.

"There's still the reverse joint," Cael informed Noland.

"You broke from Alessia's plan and you still didn't take out the reverse joint...?" Noland asked, annoyed.

"It's fine," Alessia said as she looked at the match's details, "they've scored 200 points but we've got 200 as well. If this goes to decision we'll win,"

"So what, we just hide? I know a tunnel that sounds perfect for hiding," Noland laughed.

"There's still five minutes left on the clock. A lot can happen in five minutes," Alessia told him and in that moment, the three of them were surprised when an AC rolled around the corner. It was the reverse joint.

Cael turned the White Wolf around, drawing and firing one of his shotguns in a single, swift motion. To Cael's surprise, the reverse joint jumped just as he fired his shotgun. Noland, realizing that he was standing still as the reverse joint came down towards him, tried to move the Black Wolf out of the way but it was too late.

The reverse joint came down on top of the Black Wolf, severing both of it's arms in the process with two swords. Cael adjusted the White Wolf to face the reverse joint as he backed away, keeping the reverse joint in his shotgun's crosshairs. Cael noticed the speed of the reverse joint, then noticed the wheels hidden in the reverse joint's knees. The reverse joint lowered itself onto the wheels in it's knees and dashed towards the White Wolf at a high speed with it's swords at the ready.

Cael fired his shotgun when the reverse joint drew near but the reverse joint leapt to the top of a building then leap off the roof down towards the White Wolf while trying to slash it's opponent. Cael narrowly dodged the attack, backing the White Wolf away as he switched from the sword and shotgun to his machineguns as the reverse joint continued it's charge. Cael fired his machineguns at the charging reverse joint but it skillfully dodged Cael's attacks, almost preemptively.

It moved left, then right, jumped to it's left, then moved to it's right, dodging almost all of the White Wolf's shots. It leapt towards the White Wolf, lunging with it's sword. Cael attempted to block the attack with his left side shield but realized too late that it was jammed. "When I was tackling the building... damn," Cael thought aloud as he tried to dodge the reverse joint's blade.

The reverse joint's blade cut deep into the armor of the White Wolf's Core and Cael moved the White Wolf away as fast as he could to escape the follow up attack, spinning around the reverse joint as it brought it's second sword up to stab at the White Wolf. The reverse joint's momentum allowed Cael to get the White Wolf behind the revers joint when he spun but the reverse joint quickly turned itself around, resuming it's attack. Cael fired his machineguns but realized that the reverse joint was covering too much distance in a short amount of time for the machineguns to be effective versus the reverse joint's swords.

The White Wolf dropped it's machineguns as it backed around the corner of a building. A loud crashing sound let Cael know that the reverse joint was going through the building to try to overtake him so he turned the White Wolf around just as the reverse joint emerged, lunging at Cael with one of it's swords. The reverse joint's sword met the White Wolf's right side shield and in that same moment, Cael fired the shotgun in the White Wolf's left hand. The reverse joint jumped backwards but not before it took the full damage from the White Wolf's shotgun. The shotgun rounds tore holes in the reverse joint's armor but the holes weren't enough to get to any of the important parts inside the AC's Core.

The reverse joint dashed towards the White Wolf as soon as it got it's wheels on the ground as Cael prepared to shoot the reverse joint with the White Wolf's shotgun but the shotgun was skewered by the reverse joint's blade, forcing Cael to drop the shotgun as he backed the White Wolf away. The reverse joint followed through with a slash attack with it's other blade, slashing back and forth, severely damaging the White Wolf's shield. Cael jettisoned both the White Wolf's shields, backing away just as the reverse joint lunged at him again. Cael took a quick glance at the timer in the bottom left of the rightside screen. "Three minutes..." Cael mumbled as he switched to the White Wolf's swords.

The reverse joint haulted it's attack, wary of the White Wolf's swords. Cael could feel his heart, beating fast and hard against his chest. He could feel the pulse of the White Wolf's Tesla engine, almost as if the White Wolf had it's own heartbeat. The White Wolf and the reverse joint stood still, staring one another down as the two minute warning alarm began to echo throughout the arena. At the same time, a large chunk of one of the buildings that had been wrecked during the match fell to the ground and the second it hit, the two opposing ACs dashed towards one another.

The White Wolf deflected one of the reverse joint's blades as it lunged at him, counterattacking with his own stab but the reverese joint leapt over the counterattack. Cael turned the White Wolf around at the same time as the reverse joint turned to face the White Wolf. They both dashed towards each other, letting their swords clash as they passed one another. They went back and forth like that for a while, each trying to get the upperhand but each failing by being outmaneuvered by the other.

As the timer reached it's one minute mark, the two ACs went at each other more ferociously, neither willing to give the other an advantage. Cael continued to take quick glances at the timer as it counted down until the end of the match. He and the reverse joint had put some distance between themselves but the timer was still counting down with only twenty seconds left.

Cael roared as he pushed the White Wolf forward towards the reverse joint and the reverse joint rushed towards the White Wolf as well. The two let their blades clash but Cael spun the White Wolf around the reverse joint's blade. The reverse joint turned itself around, slashing at the White Wolf in the same motion.

The White Wolf blocked the reverse joint's sword with one of it's own but the force from the attack, combined with Cael pressing hard on the White Wolf's brakes caused the White Wolf to be knocked down on it back. The wheel on the White Wolf's cockpit came to life, quickly driving the White Wolf forward, feet first. Cael pressed hard on the brakes again once the White Wolf was behind the reverse joint and had the White Wolf lift itself from the ground with it's swords.

The forward inertia along with it's swords were enough to pick the White Wolf up and get it back into an upright position. Cael didn't stop though and in that same motion as the White Wolf picked itself up, Cael turned the White Wolf towards the reverse joint while lowering it onto it's knees as it turned around with it's sword ready to stab. A loud alarm throughout the arena let everyone know that the match had ended. The time had run out.

Cael sat wide eyed as he took in the sight of the reverse joint's blade pointing straight at the White Wolf's head and his heart was pounding against the inside of his chest. His hands were sweaty and he was sweating all over. He began breathing quickly after he realized he had been holding his breathe, hyperventilating.

The cockpit of the reverse joint opened and from it, a woman emerged. Cael watched as the woman quickly took off her helmet and threw it back into the cockpit before jumping about on top of the reverse joint. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and stretched before waving at the White Wolf.

Cael snapped out of his trance and removed his own helmet. He opened his cockpit and climbed out, standing next to the White Wolf's head. Once he was out of the White Wolf, he examined the position the two ACs were in and saw that the reverse joint's blade was inches away from skewering the White Wolf's head. Cael looked up at the reverse joint, towering over the White Wolf. He grit his teeth and clenched his fist, even after seeing that his own blade was puncturing the reverse joint's Core.

The spectators of the match were ecstatic about the finale of the match. Fans of each team went back and forth chanting the name's of the final two, Cael and Eliza, Eliza and Cael. A silence took hold of the arena in no time as the results of the match were calculated. The match had gone to decision and after about a minute, the final scores appeared on screen for each team. The arena shook ever so slightly as fans chanted, "Black Raven,". Black Raven had managed a victory with a score of 300 to New Suns' 299. The attack that won Black Raven the match was replayed on the screen. When the White Wolf's blade made contact with the Eliza's Core in the last moments of the match, it counted as ten points which raised Black Raven's score to 300.

"Congratulations!" Eliza yelled to Cael, waving her hand in the air. Recovery crews had arrived on scene to bring the competing ACs in and clear the battlefield for the next match. A tiny bit of blood made it through Cael's pilot suit where his fist was tightly clenched.


	33. Chapter 10-7

**Act II**

 **Chapter 10-7**

 **The Wolf and the Sun**

Week 3 - Day 4

"Cael," Eliza called out, "Cael...!"

Cael ignored her and kept walking away, leaving the hangar as the White Wolf was loaded onto the truck that would take it back to the Black Raven hangar. Alessia and Noland were speaking with Alexander about the damage their ACs had taken during the match. When Alessia saw Eliza, she excused herself and went after her. "Who's she?" Alexander asked.

"According to her, Cael's sister..." Noland said, exaggerating the disbelief in his voice.

"Eliza," Alessia called out as she caught up with the young woman. Eliza slowed down, trying to keep Cael in her sights but not wanting to be rude to Alessia. "Good match," Alessia said when she had reached Eliza, extending her hand.

"You too," Eliza said, shaking Alessia's hand. Alessia could see that Eliza was distracted by Cael and took out her phone.

"Here," Alessia said, giving her phone to Eliza, "We should hang out sometime,"

"Yeah, but... I don't think, Cael wants to see me..." Eliza said.

"He's just tired is all. He's not much of a talker, y'know?" Alessia said to reassure her. Eliza smiled and put her number in Alessia's phone. "We're probably gonna go back to our hangar to watch the rest of the fights... You wanna -"

"I wish I could," Eliza said, shaking her head no, "but our coach is gonna put us straight to work..."

"Then, I'll see you around?" Alessia asked.

"Without a doubt!" Eliza said.

Later, Alessia entered the Black Raven team hangar while several trucks were having their contents unloaded. Alexander was directing the crews, having them place the unloaded equipment in locations that helped keep the hangar organized and Noland was up on the catwalk, looking down at the workers as he drink a soda. Lewis was speaking with Dr. Vinheim down on the floor, out of the way of the crew and Alessia approached them as Dr. Vinheim turned to leave.

"Well, hello there, miss Saint-Claire. How are you?" Dr. Vinheim asked.

"Hey, doctor. What's going on?" Alessia asked, looking at all the unfamiliar equipment being brought into the hangar.

"Well, Omerta has cut funding for my little endeavor. I'm moving the White Wolf here along with the equipment to maintain it and some spare parts," Dr. Vinheim explained as he cleaned off his glasses.

"So does this mean you won't be fixing the White Wolf anymore?" Alessia asked, her concern clearly expressed in her voice.

"I'm afraid not. I've been ordered to move on to a different project concerning the Navis but don't worry. I'll drop by from time to time to inspect it and I've given Mr. Clark the means to contact me," Dr. Vinheim explained. He put his glasses back on and continued walking towards the hangar doors as Cael entered.

"Dr. Vinheim..." Cael said, seeing the doctor coming towards him on his way out.

"Mr. Nox," Dr. Vinheim said, extending his hand to Cael. Cael shook it but the look on his face expressed his confusion. "The White Wolf will be stored here for a while. Of course, you still have a debt to pay."

"I know..." Cael said to the laughing doctor. Dr. Vinheim departed the hangar and Alessia walked over to Cael a gave him a light thump on the forehead.

"Why'd you ignore Eliza like that...? Twice?" Alessia asked. Cael walked away from Alessia, headed up to the catwalk but Alessia followed him, grabbing his wrist to slow him down. "She's your sister, isn't she?"

"I don't have a sister," Cael said coldly, pulling his wrist free of Alessia's grip. Alessia stood on the stairs, stunned by the harsh tone of Cael's words and so she looked to Lewis who had seen what had just happened. She could see the confusion on his face and assumed he had overheard. Alessia rushed up the stairs after Cael who had just gone into the office. Noland could see the worried expression Alessia had and tried to figure out what was wrong.

"What's goin' on?" he asked.

"Trying to figure that out..." Alessia sighed walking pass Noland on the catwalk and into the office.

Cael sat at the table, turning on the TV and watching the match that was currently being broadcast from the arena. Alessia walked over to Cael and sat in the chair next to him where she waited for Cael to say something as they watched the match in the meantime. When Cael didn't say anything, Alessia sighed. "What's going on with you...?" she asked and when Cael didn't say anything, she lightly pushed him. "Are you really not going to tell me what's wrong with you?" Alessia asked, still pushing Cael.

"I... lost..." Cael said as he grit his teeth and clenched his fists.

"What? You won the match, Cael..." Alessia said. She saw that Cael's fists were clenched and she tried to pry them open. When she finally got one of them open, she held his hand to keep him from closing it again.

"No... I..." Cael said, sighing. "If the time hadn't run out -"

"It would've ended in a tie and gone to a tie breaker," Alessia interrupted. Cael pulled his hand away and grabbed the tablet that was on the table. Then he searched the tablet until he found what he was looking for and put it on the TV screen. It was a recording of their match against New Suns. Cael fast forwarded throught the recording until he got to the final moments of the match. Alessia examined the last moments and gasped. "The blade... it's cracked..."

"When they grinded across the ground... It's unnoticeable, if you don't look closely," Cael said, flatly. "If the match went on for even a second longer... she would've pierced the White Wolf's head, and punctured the cockpit... while my blade broke against her armor..."

"So you're angry at Eliza because you would have lost?" Alessia asked. Cael stood up and hit the table with his hands.

"No...!" he yelled, "I'm angry because I would've lost to a amateur! How can I beat Solomon, if I can't even beat a rookie?"

"So that's what's up your ass?" Noland asked, leaning against the doorway. He had just entered and overheard Cael. He and Cael locked eyes for a moment until Alessia got in the way.

"Cael..." Alessia said, pleadingly.

"I knew you were stupid but this is -" Noland mocked but Alessia interrupted him.

"Noland...!" she yelled. Cael clenched his fist in anger. He took a step toward Noland but Alessia held him in place while Noland shook his head.

"Not sure if you noticed... but they almost killed us the first time. Whether you beat Eliza today or not, doesn't matter...! She's not Solomon. You really wanna know how you beat Solomon? You do it by beating Solomon, not by feeling sorry for yourself and getting upset that your ego got bruised...!" Noland shouted, scolding Cael. Cael pushed Alessia out of the way to get to Noland and when he was close enough, he grabbed Noland by the shirt then pushed him against the wall. Noland laughed. "Pickin' a fight with a one armed guy? This doesn't bruise that ego of yours?"

"Stop it, you two...!" Alessia yelled.

"Enough!" Lewis said as he walked into the room. He pulled Cael off of Noland and stood between them. "Walk it off...!" he yelled at Cael, pointing towards the door. Cael stormed out of the office and when he was sure Cael had gotten down the stairs, Noland walked out too. Lewis sat down in one of the chairs, rubbing his forehead and Alessia sat in the chair across from him, sighing.

"He's - " Alessia tried to say but Lewis already knew what she was going to say.

"It's Solomon," Lewis interrupted, "I know..."

"What do we do...?"

"Time. Just give'em time..."

"You knew Cael was upset because of Solomon?"

"I knew he wanted to beat him... so bad he was willin' to risk his life for the chance to do it... but that doe'n't explain the obsession. He's not the type..."

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, thinking to themselves. "We've got three wins under our belt, our ACs are trashed, and two of our three pilots are at each other's throats," Alessia said, "Maybe we should take an off week?"

"Yo' team, yo' call," Lewis said, "I could use some time away from starin' at data screens an' AC fights all day,"


	34. Chapter 11-1

**Act II**

 **Chapter 11-1**

 **The Dawn and the Sun**

Week 3 - Day 7

"Our agreement was that I come visit you more often. I never agreed to let you decide when I visit," Alessia said angrily. She was speaking to her grandparents via a video call. She was in the hangar office making the call through the TV.

"Oh, Alessia, that's not fair. We want you to come visit us but -" her grandmother pleaded but her grandfather finished her sentence.

"Things are complicated here right now, Alessia," her grandfather explained, "the UEN headquarters was just attacked by terrorists,"

"The UEN headquarters is in Belgium, not France-" Alessia argued.

"It's close enough," her grandfather rebutted, "We're under temporary martial law until the UEN military deals with the threat,"

"I'm not on your clock, I'm not on a terrorist's clock, and I'm not on the UEN's clock, granddad. I'm on my clock. If I don't visit you now, I probably won't be able to visit you until the season's over," Alessia said.

"Alessia..." her grandmother said with a sad look on her face.

"Well, I only called to tell you that I was coming over but I guess I'm not," Alessia said sarcastically.

"We can still talk on the video call," Alessia's grandmother suggested.

"Sorry but if I'm not taking a vacation, there's other work that needs my attention," Alessia said, ending the video call. Lewis, who had been sitting out of view of the camera, laughed.

"Ya finished all ya work last night," Lewis said, chuckling.

"Yeah well... I'll find something else to do," Alessia said, stretching before sitting down in a chair.

"Ya could give 'em a break once in a while," Lewis suggested, "just sayin' it couldn't hurt."

"If I give 'em a break, they'll just want more," Alessia said as she rested her head on the table.

"Well, Alex's taking care o' the ACs, Cael's gone to Dr. Vinheim for his checkup, an' Noland's goin' to visit his mother. Guess that just leaves us two," Lewis said.

"Yeah..." Alessia sighed but after a brief second she sat up wearing a coy smile, "Actually, it's just you,"

"Where're ya goin'?" Lewis asked as Alessia jumped up out of her chair and headed to the door.

"To see, Eliza," Alessia said on the way out the door.

"And then there was one..." Lewis said to himself. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table.

Noland walked along the sidewalk of the city streets with the hospital his mother was in within his sights. The city was alive with the sound of people, music and vehicles everywhere. People celebrating could be heard all the way from the AC arena in the distance. Noland watched as some kids played with an MT, climbing on it's limbs as it was being showcased. It was a two legged MT designed for entertainment purposes that had a giant TV for a head, an exposed cockpit and it's arms had several built in speakers.

Noland laughed as one of the kids sprayed a can of spray paint on the TV head then pilot of the MT got angry and tried to grab the kid. The boy escaped the pilot's grasp and ran off with his friends as the pilot screamed at them. Some of the other onlookers laughed while others tried to help cath the kids. The kids ran Noland's way and he moved to avoid them as they ran. It was at that moment that Noland bumped into a woman, causing the ice cream she had to splatter all over Noland's shirt.

"Sorry," Noland apologized. His heart skipped a beat because he was surprised to see that it was the young woman from the lake and Cael's hospital. "It's you..." he said, more to himself than to the young woman.

"Watch where you're going," the young woman said flatly, throwing the ice cream cone into a nearby garbage disposal. Noland ran after her hen she began walking away, catching up to her.

"Wait, I'll buy you another one, if you want..." Noland offered. The girl stopped abruptly, looked at Noland, then turned around and headed the other way.

"Wait, is that a no...?" Noland asked as he followed the young woman. After a minute, the young woman stopped abruptly and pointed. Noland looked in the direction she was pointing and laughed when he saw that what the young girl was pointing at was an ice cream shop that had just opened.

The two of them went in and stood in the short line waiting for their turn to come. Noland looked at all the different flavors of ice cream they had and was impressed. When their turn had come around, the young woman pointed to the flavor of ice cream she wanted through the glass.

"Didn't you just leave...?" the woman behind the counter asked.

"He ran into me," the young woman explained, pointing to Noland. The woman fixed the young woman another ice cream cone and Noland gave the woman his wallet. When the woman tried to extract the credits from the wallet, a beeping noise played, letting everyone in the shop know that Noland didn't have the sufficient funds to pay for the ice cream.

"Go ahead. It's on the house," the woman said.

"Thank you," the young woman said as she left the counter. Noland, embarassed, was about to follow her but the woman behind the counter grabbed him by the collar.

"I'll add it to your tab, ya dead beat!" the woman yelled in Noland's ear. When the woman let him go, Noland quickly left the ice cream shop and went after the young woman who had already left the shop, cursing underneath his breath when he didn't see her. He sighed and turned to the direction of the hospital. As he began to walk, he noticed a familiar person next to him. Sitting on the bench was the young woman, eating her ice cream.

"Sorry I bumped into you," Noland apoligized. The young woman didn't say anything, just sat eating her ice cream. "You know, I still don't know your name,"

The young woman still didn't give Noland her name. Realizing that it was getting late and he was getting nowhere with the young woman, he decided to continue on to the hospital.

Lewis waved to several of the crew members on his way down from the office. When Alexander saw him, he stopped what he was doing to to run over to Lewis. "The Black Wolf is by far the easiest to fix. The adhesive from the mines is way tougher to remove than we thought but we ordered something to help use with that. The White Wolf is gonna be a bit harder to fix though... Even with all the spare parts and equipment, it's too advanced for the guys. Too advanced for me, really," Alexander said as he walked alondside Lewis.

"Can ya fix it?" Lewis asked.

"It'll take me a while to do on my own but yeah," Alexander told him.

"Good thing ya got a week to do it," Lewis joked.

"Where you off to?" Alexander asked, going no further as they arrived at the hangar doors.

"Out. I'll be back in an hour or so," Lewis told him as he left.

"I'm so glad you could come!" Alessia said to Eliza as she drove. Eliza was in the passenger's seat, looking through Alessia's music via the dashboard touch screen.

"So am I. We finished early today so it's no problem!" Eliza said cheerfully.

"So..." Alessia said, purposefully letting her voice trail off. Eliza looked at her, waiting for Alessia to finish her sentence.

"So...?" Eliza teased.

"I wanna know about you! It's not often that you find out one of your teammates has a sister...!"

"Uh," Eliza said, "there's not much to know really..."

"What was he like when he was a kid? He's never been much of a talker, not since I've known him,"

"Well... uh. I was... I mean he was..." Eliza sighed, adjusting herself in her seat before she continued, "I was a kid when he was adopted. He was a few years older than me. How old is he now?"

"Twenty five, I think," Alessia shrugged and Eliza gave Alessia a confused look.

"You don't know his birthday?" she asked.

"No one does. Not accurately, at least,"

"How do you know he's twenty five?"

"He says he just added a year every new year. He knew he was nine but not when he had turned nine. After we won our first championship he switched it to every year after a season," Alessia explained as she quickly brought up a picture on the dashboard. It was a picture of team Black Raven and Cael stood at the center of the photo. Noland had his arm wrapped around Cael's neck as he smiled with a whistle in his mouth. Alessia stood on the other side of Cael, holding his arm with a plaque in her hand. Vai and Alexander stood on opposite sides holding a banner that said, "Happy Birthday" over their heads while Lewis stood off to the side waving the trophy they had won in the air. Eliza examined the picture carefully, wiping the tears that were beginning to build up from her eyes.

"I'm twenty one so... he must have been twelve when I met him. I was eight," Eliza reasoned. She smiled a soft smile as she continued looking at the picture. "He... saved my life..."

"What? What do you mean?" Alessia asked, concern and curiosity in her voice.

"We had a really shitty foster dad," Eliza explained, "and our foster mother was a coward that let him do whatever he wanted,"

"I'm... so sorry...!" Alessia apologized. Eliza waved her apology off.

"Nah. You got nothing to be sorry for," Eliza said, trying to make a joke but her voice cracked slightly, "You weren't the one beating your kids for using up the hot water,"

They sat in silence for a while, letting the seriousness die out in the silence as they drove through the city. They were on the outskirts of Circle City with it's tall buildings and the arena in the rearview.

"Where're we going...?" Eliza asked, looking around. Alessia smiled coyly and laughed.

"It's a place my mom and dad use to take me when I was kid," Alessia said, pointing at their destination through the window.

When they had arrived, Alessia jumped out of the car and pulled Eliza out. They went up to the ice cream stand and waited as some of the other families made their orders. Eliza took her time making her decision while Alessia played with some of the smaller kids who were waiting in line. When their turn came, the clerk welcomed them and took their orders. "Long time no see, Alessia. When I heard you got hurt, I started to worry I'd lose my best customer!" the clerk said.

"Never...!" Alessia joked.

"On the house," the clerk said as he gave them their ice cream. Alessia and Eliza found an empty table and sat as they ate their ice cream.

"Sorry I was late," Noland said as his mother was rolled in to her room. He hugged her once the nurse was done getting her set.

"You have your own life Noland. I don't expect you to be on time, every time," his mother said, kissing Noland on the cheek. "She your girlfriend?"

Noland was confused by his mother's question. When he realized she was pointing towards the door, he turned around to see that the young woman he had met before coming to the hospital was standing in the doorway. "So she is your girlfriend?" Noland's mother teased.

"She's... someone I bumped into," Noland said, trying to figure out how to explain who the young woman was.

"Come on in, girl. I'm not contagious, I swear," Noland's mother said, gesturing for the young woman to enter the room. She did so, coming to stand next to Noland at his mother's bedside.

"Well..." Noland's mother said, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Uh..." Noland said. He didn't know the young woman's name. She hadn't given it. Noland's mother realized he didn't know the young woman's name and looked at the young woman.

"You aren't a hooker are you?" she asked her.

"No," the young woman answered.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Dawn," the young woman answered. Noland's mother smiled.

"That's a lovely name. I'm Anna," Noland's mother said, introducing herself, "It's nice to meet you. Even nicer to see that my son is dating nice girls,"

"Mom...!" Noland said.

"Why don't you give us a minute...?" Noland's mother asked, waving him away. Noland's confusion and fear was clear on his face he slowly walked backward. "And close the door...!"

"Does he know...?" Anna asked when she was sure Noland was out of the room and the door was closed. Dawn didn't answer her, just stood, looking at Anna's hand. "You can be honest with me," Anna said, taking the Dawn's hand, "A mother knows the people who hurt their son. It's kinda our jobs,"

Dawn didn't laugh even though Anna meant her words as a joke. "I'm... sorry," Dawn apologized.

"You're apologizing to the wrong person," Anna said, rubbing Dawn's hand, "I can tell you're a good person. I'm sure Noland can too but the longer you wait to tell him, the less understanding he'll be. I'm sure he'd forgive you no matter what, though. Hard to stay mad at pretty girls after all,"

Noland knocked on the door. "Tell him," Anna pleaded as she pulled on Dawn's hand. Noland opened the door and stuck his head in.

"Can I come back in?" Noland asked.

"Sure...!" Anna said sarcastically as she let go of Dawn's hand.

"What were you two talking about," Noland asked.

"Girl talk. None of your business," Anna joked, "isn't that right, Dawn?"

"Yes..." Dawn said. Noland blushed a bit as he sat in the chair next to Anna's bed. She hit him on the shoulder for it.

"Don't be rude," Anna scolded, "let the young lady sit!"

Lewis stood looking down at the large tombstone. There were several other people in graveyard visiting their departed friends and family. Despite their being other people, the graveyard was fairly quiet. The only noise came from chirping birds as they perched on some of the statues and monoliths in the graveyard. A man dressed in black approached Lewis, stopping when he stood next to Lewis and they both looked down at the tombstone, neither saying a word. They stood there for a moment before either of them even acknowledged the other's presence.

"Didn't think ya still came here..." Lewis said without taking his eyes off the tombstone.

"It's important to remember..." the man said, his voice deep and rough. The two stood in silence for another moment then the man asked, "Have you reconsidered?"

"I won't change my mind..." Lewis told him, his voice beginning to fill with anger.

"And what about those brats of yours...?" the man asked as he walked away but Lewis didn't answer the man. When he turned his head to see the man, he was already a great distance away, leaving the graveyard and Lewis sighed as he looked back at the tombstones.

"Ya know I'm doin' my best... Forgive me if I come up short, Arthur, Alyssa..." Lewis said. He put his hands in his pocket and walked away with his head down as he held back a few tears.

"I'm sorry but I'm just really curious," Alessia apologized as she and Eliza sat watching the kids play near the pond, "You said Cael saved your life... How? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want..."

"It's fine," Eliza said, "I don't mind really. I was kid when it happened so I'm over it now, mostly. I was really small when I was eight... but that didn't matter to our foster dad. I was always the one that got hit the most until Cael came. I remember feeling bad because he always took hits that I would've taken if he wasn't there,"

"I'm -" Alessia said trying to apologize but Eliza put her hand over Alessia's mouth.

"Stop apologizing for no reason...!" Eliza laughed. She removed her hand when she was sure Alessia wouldn't apologize and continued with her story. "I was always watching him. It's funny because most of the time, I don't even think he knew I was there... but I was. One night, I couldn't sleep and I saw him get out of bed... so I followed him and it wasn't until we were well out the door that I realized he was leaving..."

"He was running away..." Alessia thought aloud. Eliza nodded, confirming what Alessia was thinking.

"He had a backpack and I realized later on that he was always planning on leaving. From the moment he got there, probably. Anyway, I ran up to him and grabbed his shirt and asked him to take me with him,"

"Wow," Alessia said in awe, "So he took you to a new foster home?"

Eliza burst out into a fit of laughter and Alessia was confused by the act. She didn't understand why Eliza was laughing. Eventually, Eliza composed herself and continued. "Not even close," Eliza said energetically, "He punched me in the face, right under the eye,".

Eliza pointed to a small scar underneath her eye. The scar was small and blended in with her skin. Almost no one would notice it unless they were directed to it. When Alessia saw it she gasped but Eliza laughed again. "It wasn't a bad thing. I mean it hurt, I think, but I was fine," Eliza said.

"Why'd he punch you?" Alessia asked, examining the scar under Eliza's eye.

"I don't know if he knew but the next day one of the people from the child services agency or whatever came. The people who sent me and the others there. They saw my black eye and got suspicious. And with Cael missing, my older sister and brothers just took the opportunity to rat the old man out,"

"And they took you away from there...?" Alessia asked, trying to be sure she was understanding what happened.

"Yep," Eliza grinned, "I ended up in a much better family, though I missed my sister and I never saw Cael again after that. Not in person anyway, not until Wednesday,"

"Wow," Alessia said, amazed by Eliza's story, "How'd you know it was the same Cael?"

"I didn't. I just assumed. Orphan kid, no one knows his real parents or where he's from, grows up and starts winning league championships... I saw a photograph of him and I just hoped it was him. Fit the description, not that there was ever a good description to go by..."

Eliza leaned back against the table with a smile on her face. "I wasn't sure if it was him or not but I figured that I'd try my hand at crashing giant robots. And if it was him, I'd meet him. And if it wasn't, I'd just have to get famous for crashing giant robots and use my overwhelming fame to hunt him down...!" Eliza said, laughing maniacally. Her laughter caused Alessia to laugh as well.

"I'm glad your plan worked out...!" Alessia said, congratulating her new friend.

"You and me both...!" Eliza agreed.

The two of them stayed there for a while and ate more ice cream before going down to the pond to play with some of the children. When it got late and the parents began taking their children home, Alessia drove Eliza back to the New Suns's hangar where they said their farewells for the time being.

Alessia arrived at Lewis' house at the same time as Lewis and they parked their cars in the garage before going in. Lewis had bought dinner for them so they ate. Afterwards, they stayed up watching old movies and MT fights.


	35. Chapter 11-2

**Act II**

 **Chapter 11-2**

 **?**

Week 4 - Day 1

When Alessia woke, the sun was shining in through the windows, warming her and her head felt strange, mostly due to the fact that her upper body was hanging off the couch. The sound of a pot hitting the kitchen floor jolted her awake and she sat up just as Lewis walked by. "Where're you goin' this early...?" Alessia asked as she rubbed the sand from her eyes.

"Out," Lewis said, putting on his jacket as he headed to the door, "I'll bring ya back some breakfast if you want. I shouldn't be gone for long,"

"That's okay," Alessia said as she stood and stretched, "I got a call last night. Got a meeting later,"

"A sponsor?" Lewis asked as he opened the door to the garage.

"Hopefully,"

Lewis left the house as Alessia went into the kitchen and went into the garage where he got into his car. Seconds later he was on the road, listening to his old western music and singing along under his breath.

After a short commute, Lewis arrived at the Cheshire Correctional Institution and parked his car. The waiting line was short and Lewis was able to get through the door faster than usual. In the visitor's area, Charles sat waiting patiently for Lewis to get to his table. "Been a while," Charles said as Lewis sat.

""Been busy," Lewis told him. "Haven't seen or heard anything from Vai. Wanted to let ya know..."

"It's fine, I spoke to her a little while ago. She was lookin' for her mother,"

"Ah. Explains why she was missing. Is she at her place now?"

"I'd assume so. You gonna ask her to join again?"

"I'll probably get Alessia to do it. Maybe she'll open the door if it's her," Lewis chuckled and Charles did too.

"How is Arthur's kid?" Charles asked.

"She's fine. Stubborn like Arthur but smart like Alyssa..." Lewis joked.

"Dam', that's a dangerous mix in one person," Charles laughed. A silence took hold when the laughter died out. Lewis and Charles locked eyes, both had serious expressions on their faces. "So..."

"I saw Victor the other day, while visitin' their graves..." Lewis said.

"And -"

"An' I wanna know... What really happened back then... why're ya really in here, Charlie?" Lewis asked. Charles played with his handcuffs, looking down at them so as to avoid looking his friend in the eyes. "I'm sorry that I'm not as smart as ya, or Arthur, or Alyssa, or John... but I've gotten wiser in my old age, Charles,"

"Well I didn't expect you to stay hard headed for ever," Charles joked halfheartedly but Lewis wasn't laughing.

"Ya're in here for murder... for killin' some guy... the reports say it was a muggin'..."

"It was -"

"Ya were havin' money problems back then... an' I know ya mother's a big player in the underworld..."

"You think my mother made me do it, is that it?" Charles asked angrily. Lewis looked at him and shook his head, no.

"That's one o' my guesses... but since ya went an' said it, nah. That can't be it..."

"Then you haven't gotten as wise as you think you have... I killed that guy and took him for everything he was worth. Split it with my mom. I needed the credits, to feed my family, keep a roof over their heads..."

"I'm ya friend, Charlie. I don't care if ya lie to me... but if ya not gonna tell me the truth... at least tell ya daughter," Lewis said as he stood from the table, "she has the right to know her ol' man's not a criminal,"

"I am a criminal...!" Charles shouted as Lewis walked away. Lewis stopped and turned his head to his friend.

"If ya were a criminal, ya wouldn't be tryin' this hard to convince me ya're a criminal..." Lewis said. "I'm slow...!" Lewis yelled as he walked away, "but I'll figure it out sooner or later...!"

With that, Lewis was escorted from the visiting area and Charles was taken back to his cell block. Lewis went home after returning from the prison. Alessia had already left, leaving the house quiet and Lewis home alone.

A rhytmic knocking pattern on his door let Cael know who was knocking on his front door. Cael dried his hair off with a towel as he went and opened the front door. Noland stood in Cael's doorway with a bag of burgers in hand. Neither of them said anything and, after a brief staredown, Cael gestured for Noland to enter.

"Figured four days was long enough..." Noland said throwing the bag to Cael. Cael caught the bag and pulled out one of the burgers before giving the bag back to Noland. Cael sat on the couch and ate his burger. Noland joined him, grabbing the TV remote as he jumped onto the couch. Noland turned on the TV before starting to eat a burger. "But I still think you're an idiot," Noland said randomly. Cael balled up the wrapper to his burger and threw it at Noland's head.

"Here's a suggestion for next time," Alessia said as she stood from the conference table, "If you're just gonna give me bad news... do it over the phone...!"

Alessia stormed out of the meeting room, mumbling under her breathe. She made her way out of the building and to her car, sighing once she was in the driver's seat. She sat there in her car in the parking deck, trying to compose herself and when she was calm, she started the car then drove it out of the parking deck. She drove to the Black Raven hangar and was surprised to see that Eliza was waiting in the parking lot, standing next to her own car. Eliza waved to Alessia when she pulled up.

"What're you doing here?" Alessia asked as she got out of her car.

"Waiting for you," Eliza laughed. "Heard you guys were taking an off week,"

"Yeah," Alessia sighed, "Probably wasn't a good idea though..."

"I was thinking we could hang out again today,"

"You don't have training or anything today...?"

"Well, my dad's the team coach and he's not here so we're kinda slacking off..." Eliza laughed.

"Your dad's your coach?" Alessia asked, "Where is he?"

"He's military, kinda. There was some attack over in the UEN and he got called up,"

"I heard about that... I wish I could hang out with you today but I've got problems that I need to figure out..." Alessia sighed as she began walking towards the hangar, Eliza followed.

"Financial troubles...?" Eliza asked.

"Yeah... We need sponsors but we still haven't gotten any. You didn't exactly help with that," Alessia sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"I just left a meeting with the heads of the american branch of the Felix Foundation. They decided not to sponsor us on the grounds that we could barely beat a rookie team... "Our performance left something to be desired," they said,"

"Sorry..." Eliza apologized. The two entered the hangar and were surprised to see Alexander inside, working on the White Wolf alone. Eliza looked to Alessia and Alessia looked to Eliza. "I knocked more than once," Eliza said. Alessia walked over to Alexander, calling his name but he didn't hear her. He had ear phones on his head and Alessia could hear the music as she approached.

"Alex...!" Alessia called, kicking Alexander to get his attention. Alexander quickly removed his ear phones. "What're you doing here? Everyone has the weekend off, remember?"

"I know but I'm the only one here who can even attempt to fix the White Wolf until Dr. Vinheim's team comes by. I need to learn to fix it eventually. Might as well start now," Alexander explained.

"Don't let me stop you," Alessia said sarcastically as she headed over to the stairs. Eliza followed her up to the office where the two of them sat. Alessia got to work looking at potential sponsors for the team and going over the team's budget. Eliza watched videos on her phone, occassionally watching Alessia express her frustration as she went over her work.

"How's it goin' over there?" Eliza asked when Alessia let out a loud groan.

"Not good... we're flat broke. We probably won't be able to afford repairs after our next match..." Alessia told her. Lewis knocked on the door and entered. He had brought food with him and Alessia face palmed her head causing Lewis to laugh.

"Figured ya'd forget to eat... What's she doin' here?" Lewis asked.

"Got turned down by the Felix Foundation and she's visiting... and keeping me from bursting out into a blind rage..." Alessia told him.

"Guess ya'll be sharin' yo' food then 'cause I ain't sharin' mine," Lewis joked, removing his food from the bag then sliding it across the table over to Alessia.

"I already ate," Eliza said, preemptively refusing Alessia's offer to share her food.

"So how's the hunt for sponsors goin'?" Lewis asked as he ate.

"You already know it's not goin' well," Alessia said sarcastically, "No AC companies're willing to sponsor us..."

"We'll figure somethin' out..." Lewis said.

"Wait... AC companies?" Eliza asked, confused, "Have you only been trying to get sponsorships from companies that make AC parts?"

"Any company that has anything to do with ACs," Alessia corrected and Eliza laughed immediately.

"There's your problem...!" she said, "You're limiting your list of possible sponsors!"

"You have sponsorships from non-AC companies?" Alessia asked, curious.

"Just because we're an AC league teams doesn't mean we have to be sponsored by AC companies. New Suns' top sponsor is the Ark."

"Ark...?" Alessia asked. Lewis' expression turned serious at the mention of Ark.

"It's a security contracting company..." Lewis said, his voice as serious as the expression on his face. Alessia noticed it but didn't say anything.

"Yeah. They're looking to sponsor ACFL teams. I figured they'd already turned you down though if they weren't already sponsoring you. But if you haven't been looking for sponsorships from anyone other than AC companies..."

"You really think they'd sponsor us?" Alessia asked optimistically.

"I don't see why they wouldn't. You guys are three time champions and you never really lost the title..." Eliza pointed out.

"We may have found our first spo-" Alessia stopped when she noticed Lewis' expression go from serious to angry. "What's wrong?"

"It's yo' team, Alessia... I work for ya... but I don't agree with it..." Lewis explained. Eliza's jaw dropped slightly.

"You're Vertex?" Eliza asked, "I-I didn't know..."

"What about it?" Alessia asked, confused.

"Vertex was disbanded decades ago after it's members were divided over whether or not the then new ACs should be developed as military weapons," Eliza answered, staring at Lewis.

"You know, you never told me exactly how Vertex was disbanded..." Alessia said looking at Lewis.

"'Cause I don't care to get into the details..." Lewis explained, "there were a lot o' groups that wanted us to focus on weaponizing the AC prototypes were developing... security contractors were more outspoken than the rest..."

"I wouldn't have brought it up if I'd known you were... I didn't spend much time learning about you..." Eliza tried to explain but Lewis gestured for her to stop.

"I'm not mad at ya... it's the security contractors I don't approve of..." Lewis explained.

"I won't ask if you don't want me to..." Alessia said.

"I'm gettin' ol' an' I know I'm too close to this. My decison might not be what's best for the team right now... but it's not my call, Alessia." Lewis told her as he got out of his seat. He left the office leaving his food sitting on the table and Alessia struggling inside as she tried to make a decision on the matter.


	36. Chapter 11-3

**Act II**

 **Chapter 11-3**

 **?**

Week 4 - Day 6

It was early in the morning. The sun had not risen yet but Vai found herself awake and angry. She rolled out of bed and walked to her kitchen, mumbling what were meant to be insults that came out as jumbled words. Vai took a bottle of alcohol, opened it and drank from the bottle there at the refridgerator. She grew angrier and angrier as she stood there at the refridgerator, bottle in hand. She didn't know why she was getting angry just that she was. Could it have been the chirping of the birds that was making her angry? Could it have been the drunks on the street bragging about the night's exploits that made her furious? Perhaps it was the loud knocking on her door that was enraging her. Vai didn't know which it was but she headed towards her door, intent on stopping the one she could stop.

"What...?" she shouted as she unlocked her door and threw it open. Vai gasped and almost dropped the bottle of alcohol in her hands when she saw who it was. Her eyes narrowed as she composed herself and she locked eyes with the thin, bony woman at her door.

The woman was old, her hair starting to gray and poorly dressed. The woman's clothes were practically rags, covered in several differently colored stains and a strange odor emanated from her. Vai couldn't tell if it was the woman's clothes or the woman herself that gave off the rancid stench. "What're you doing here?" Vai asked angrily.

The woman's mouth moved but no words came out. Vai was about to close the door but just as she moved to do it the woman fell forward, hitting her head on the door as she fell to the floor. Vai threw the door back open and crouched down to check on the woman. Panicking, Vai quickly got up, ran to her room and grabbed her phone, dialing the emergency service as she made her way back to the woman.

"Circle City Emergency Services, what is the nature of your emergency?" a voice asked.

"Send an ambulance, quick. My mother just fell... hard. I think she's had an overdose..." Vai said, her voice was trembling as well as her entire body.

"An ambulance is on route -" the voice said but Vai threw the phone to the side. She turned her mother over, putting the unconscious woman on her side. She rested her mother's head in her lap as she bared her teeth, trying to hold back her tears as they flooded from her eyes.

"You... stupid bitch..." Vai cried as she sat there, holding her mother.

Alessia and Lewis sat at the the table, eating their breakfast quietly, the TV playing in the background. It had been a few days since Alessia had began considering accepting the Ark as a sponsor for Black Raven. She and Lewis hadn't had a prolonged conversation since she began considering it. She looked at her phone and her schedule for the day. Eliza had set up a meeting scheduled for later in the day but Alessia was still unsure if she should go for it. She attempted to make eye contact with Lewis but he wasn't lifting his head from his food.

"If you don't want me to go through with it, I won't. Just say so..." Alessia said. Lewis put his utensils down and looked up, at Alessia.

"I already told ya... it's yo' call, Alessia..." Lewis told her.

"Yeah that's what you keep saying... but if you have a problem with it, I don't wanna do it..!" Alessia explained. Lewis sighed a heavy sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

"My head's not clear... Alessia... This ain't a decision I can make and it ain't a decision ya should take my advice on..." Lewis explained.

"Well give me the details. Tell me why you're against this,"

"I've told ya plenty of times. Arthur died testin' a prototype AC loaded with military grade munitions and test parts,"

"That's not what I meant..."

"I know what ya meant but it doe'n't get anymore complicated than that," Lewis said as he started back eating. Alessia was slightly disheartened by Lewis' dismissal. When Lewis saw that she was disheartened, he sighed. "Whatever ya decide, I'm behind ya. I mean that. I'll always be ya number two fan,"

""Number two...?" Alessia said confused but cheered up.

"Well I'd be ya number one fan but ya keep throwing my beer away," Lewis laughed. Alessia laughed at the joke, her spirits lifted.

Vai sat in the hospital room, waiting and watching. She watched as doctors and nurses scrambled around, doing whatever tasks they needed to do. Patients were being wheeled in and out of the hospital. Some of the patients injuries were minor and some of them looked pretty severe. Vai had been waiting for a few hours already. They'd immediately taken her mother and began flushing the drugs out of her system.

Eventually, a nurse and doctor came to update Vai on her mother's condition. Apparently, her mother had been taking high amounts of a new street drug called Reave. The nurse explained to Vai that the drug is made by mixing a diluted neuro-toxin with several other chemicals and ingredients. Like most street drugs, it tricks the body into thinking the neuro-toxin is healthy for the body by releasing dopamine into the brain but in high doses within short periods of time, the neuro-toxin can build up, causing serious damage to the body. The doctor told Vai that her mother was lucky because she had an amount of Reave in her system that was well beyond the average amount that it takes to kill the average user.

"Will she be alright...?" Vai asked.

"Her nervous system was damaged pretty badly... She'll live but depending on your definition of "alright"..." the doctor explained.

Vai thanked the doctor as he continued on to his next task. Vai sat there for a while, somewhat relieved that her mother would live but it was a brief relief soon replaced by anger. She got up and left the hospital, calling a taxi to take her back home. On the way back to her apartment, Vai had the taxi stop at liquor store where she purchased bottle of whiskey and once she had arrived at her destination, she paid the taxi driver the credits she owed then immediately began drinking the whiskey she had purchased.

Alessia sat alone, waiting for the heads of Ark to make their decision on whether or not they should sponsor Black Raven. There were six people at the table, one of them was Eliza who was there to vouch for Alessia and Black Raven. Alessia, glancing through the glass wall that seperated the office from the waiting room, noted the facial expressions of the five heads of the Ark and she guessed as to which were opposed to sponsoring Black Raven. After a seemingly back and forth conversation, the meeting concluded. All but one of the people in the room stood from their seats and exited the office. The participants of the meeting walked pass Alessia without looking in her direction except for Eliza who walked over to Alessia with a smile on her face .

"They agreed to it...!" Eliza said excitedly. She stood Alessia up and pulled her into the office where the one man still sat at the table.

"Mr. Cunningham," Alessia greeted the man.

"Miss Saint-Claire," Cunningham said as he gestured for Alessia to sit, "I've discussed it with my associates. We here at the Ark have decided that sponsoring Black Raven, would be a good investment."

"Thank you...!" Alessia said energetically. Her face lit up with happiness and relief at Cunningham's words.

"Now, now," Cunningham said, "There are conditions..."

Alessia's expression quickly changed and became less energetic. She looked to Eliza who shrugged her shoulders. "And what are the conditions...?" Alessia asked, somewhat worried.

"Black Raven has been out of the public eye for two years now... I think it's safe to say that your team's fan base is down. Also, your team's pilots took several severe injuries, so I'd also say it's a safe bet that your pilots aren't in their best shape... Do you consider these unfair criticisms...?"

"No..." Alessia said after a brief pause.

"We're seeking teams who'll make a big enough splash and help us expand our brand. It could very well be that your team has peaked... With that possibility in mind... the conditions are simple. If you lose to a rookie team, we'll stop sponsoring you. If you lose early in the main tournament, we'll stop sponsoring you. Your team's performance data is equivalent to that of New Suns', so if your performance should drop below that standard, we will stop sponsoring you. We've set a budget for how much support we give to each ACFL team we sponsor. If you ever require more support than alotted per month, you'll receive the support for that month but we will stop sponsoring you. Do you have any obejections to any of these conditions...?"

"...No...!" Alessia said confidently, looking Cunningham in the eye. He smiled as he slouched in his chair a bit.

"Very well. My assistant will give you the contract on your way out," Cunningham said.

"Thank you, Mr. Cunningham...!" Alessia said, standing up from her chair and making her way out. Eliza was about to follow her but she waited at the door for Alessia to get out of hearing distance.

"You guys never brought up anything about conditions..." Eliza pointed out.

"You'll keep that fact to yourself miss Brigham," Cunningham told her. Eliza nodded and left the room after Alessia.


	37. Chapter 11-4

**Act II**

 **Chapter 11-4**

 **?**

Week 5 - Day 4

Team Qualifiers Round 5-7 (Black Raven Match 4-6)

Black Raven vs Unnamed Team

Black Raven vs Unnamed Team

Black Raven vs Underdogs

"There he goes again..." Noland sighed.

"Cael...!" Alessia scolded.

The White Wolf had gone far ahead of it's teammates, dashing through the streets of the arena city and turning corners at speeds of 70 miles per hour. After a minute or so of searching, Cael found three out of their five opponents. Two ACs were bipedal ACs and the third a tank AC. They opened fire on the White Wolf the second it came into sight.

"I found them," Cael reported to his teammates while moving the White Wolf's shields into their forward facing positions as he charged in.

"Cael...! Noland, we need to back him up!" Alessia exclaimed. She was moving the Blackbird towards the fight with Noland and the Black Wolf just behind her.

"There's just three here," Cael reported. The White Wolf dashed in, causing the enemy ACs to scatter. The tank AC, that was too slow to get distance, was outmaneuvered by the White Wolf and Cael cut into the AC from behind with the White Wolf's swords.

The other two ACs continued to fire but the White Wolf returned it's shields to forward facing position as it dodged the attacks, blocking whichever ones would have hit. The two bipedals were doing a decent job at sticking together and when Cael noticed this he quickly dashed at them when they were close together. The White Wolf got in close, causing the two bipedals to seperate and surrounding the White Wolf on both sides.

Cael moved the White Wolf's shields to side facing positions to defend against the incoming attacks of the two bipedals. He was moving quickly and carefully to keep the two ACs from coming back together. He sheathed one of the White Wolf's swords, switching to a shotgun instead and spun the White Wolf towards the bipedal to his left. When the bipedal saw that the White Wolf was coming closer, it tried to outmaneuver Cael but to no avail. When Cael got within range he immediately fired his shotgun, blowing the head off the bipedal. He quickly followed that up by cutting a leg off of the bipedal.

The damaged bipedal's comrade tried to take the opportunity to attack the White Wolf from behind but, in the same motion that Cael cut off the damaged bipedal's leg, he got behind his opponent. The second bipedal's gatlingun's shots hit it's comrade instead of the White Wolf and it was it's shots that disabled the damaged bipedal AC. The bipedal backed away, realizing it's mistake but Cael pursued it.

Up on the highway, the Blackbird was being chased by two quadraped ACs. Alessia tried returning fire but the Blackbird had limited firepower compared to her two opponents. Noland was below the highway, doing his best to keep up with the mobile firefight taking place above him and occasionally he fired up at the highway when one of the enemy quadraped ACs got close enough to the guard railings.

"This isn't workin' out...!" Noland said to Alessia.

"Here...!" Alessia said as she sent Noland coordinates. The two ACs chasing her came up on both sides of the Blackbird and Alessia quickly hit the brakes just before they began firing. The two ACs stopped and tried turning to her however Alessia had already began moving forward again, zooming by her opponents. "Good thing they're rookies...!" Alessia laughed.

Noland swent to the coordinates Alessia had sent him and laughed when he saw that it was an entry ramp to the highway. Noland quickly drove the Black Wolf up the ramp and got onto the highway. In the distance, he could see the Blackbird making it's way towards him and he quickly began to set mines in each of the three highway lanes.

By the time Noland had finished, he could see the White Wolf chasing the enemy bipedal through the city. Noland quickly took up a position on the highway he felt was suitable to give him a good firing angle then, after aiming and waiting for the AC to slow down, the bipedal slowed to a near stop as it dodged the White Wolf's charge. In that moment, Noland fired the Black Wolf's back mounted rifle, hitting the bipedal in the leg and staggering it just long enough for Cael to finish it off with a shotgun shot to the leg followed by a sword slash to the remaining leg.

Noland adjusted the Black Wolf to face the incoming Blackbird and quadraped ACs. Noland deployed smoke mines at about the same time as Alessia did, creating a large, thick smoke screen. Alessia hit the Blackbird's brakes again, forcing it to a stop as she entered the smoke then an explosion from Noland's mines and a series of loud crashing sounds let her know that the trap had worked.

The two enemy quadrapeds had gotten covered in adhesive from the mines and the two ACs skid across the highway road as the emerged from the smoke. Noland finished them off at close range by shooting each of the ACs in the Core until they were disabled. The alarm that signaled the ending of the match echoed and the three Black Raven pilots rejoiced at their latest victory.

The team, while happy about their victory and sponsorship, took little time to celebrate. Cael had a weekly check up with Dr. Vinheim to ensure the Navis implant was functioning correctly. He spent much of his time in Dr. Vinheims care, allowing Dr. Vinheim to monitor and collect data on Cael. Alexander was always hard at work keeping the White Wolf repaired and directing the laid off workers from the Line in helping as they helped repair the Black Raven ACs. Thanks to the sponsorship from the Ark, the team could now afford to book simulator time at the arena and Noland spent much of his time there with Cael joining him three days out of the week. Alessia was doing a large amount of research on the other teams they would possibly be facing, not just rookie teams but pro teams they would have to overcome in the main tournament should they make it that far. When Lewis wasn't coaching Noland and Cael at the simulator he was helping Alessia come up with plans to combat their opponents. By the time the next week had come, they were prepared better than they had been all season.

In their fifth match of the season, Black Raven took on another rookie team. It was a three man team consisting of a heavy weight bipedal, a quadraped, and a light weight reverse joint. Alessia had come up with a plan for them to use in the match but Cael broke from the plan early on, attacking the reverse joint instead of the bipedal like Alessia had planned. Despite breaking from plan, they won the match quite easily.

Cael lured the reverse joint towards the highway as it fired at him from rooftops and to the reverse joint's surprise, Cael jettisoned all the White Wolf's armament's except for a shotgun. He went onto the entry ramp on the highway at full speed, coming onto the highway just as the reverse joint was landing on the highway after having jumped from the adjacent roof of a building. Cael got in close before it could jump again and disabled it with a single shotgun shot.

Noland engaged the heavy weight bipedal. It was well armored and carried two gatlinguns in it's hands as well as mounted on it's back. The four gatlinguns and thick armor made it hard for Noland to get in close but he overcame this by taking cover in buildings, doing his best to lure the bipedal onto tight roads with plenty of buildings to use as cover. Eventually, Noland tricked the bipedal by firing at the base of the wall behind the large foe. The wall fell on the heavy weight, forcing it to it's knee and Noland took the opportunity to get behind it, moving from cover to cover. When he was close enough, he unloaded all the Black Wolf's mines on the pinned bipedal, ensuring that it would unable to continue the fight.

The Blackbird and the quadroped were locked in a mobile firefight for a while. Neither had the advantage as they were both armed for support and not direct combat. Alessia eventually managed to lure the enemy quadroped to Cael and Noland who swiftly finished the AC and with that match concluded they immediately went back to work in the week leading up to their next match.

"We... can't lose..." Alessia said to herself as she prepared the Blackbird. Their next opponents weren't a rookie team like their previous opponents. It was a veteran team named Underdogs that Black Raven had faced several times in the past. The team consisted of two men and a woman. Aster, was the team's best pilot and Mega was the name of his AC. Bill, also called Young Bill by many to avoid confusion with Old Bill, was the pilot of the AC named Mean Time. Finally there was Trish, the pilot of the AC Lava but she is known for being the sister to Johanne Strasbourg, a well known pilot in the European AC League. Underdogs specialized in mobile combat, using hit and run tactics to get the upperhand.

The three pilots of team Underdogs made their way towards the Black Wolf just as Noland finished speaking to Alexander. When he saw them coming, Noland intercepted them. "Aster, Bilbo, Trish... Been a while..." Noland said casually and the three pilots laughed.

"Noland North... You look good for a guy who lost his arm..." Aster greeted him.

"I've been better..." Noland sarcastically. Aster smirked.

"You know... a lot of vets are talking about you guys... lots of whispers..." Aster said, his voice hushed.

"And what're they whispering?" Noland asked.

"May of heard something about how you guys're done in this league... That you'll never be as good as you were two years ago... that you're struggling with rookies..." Aster said smuggly.

"I guess it's a good thing we're not going up against tough opponents today then..." Noland said. The conversation had seemingly become confrontational as several people in the hangar were watching the scene unfold. After a brief moment of tension, Aster and Noland laughed as they shook hands.

"Enough with the trash talk. We gotta get to our hangar," Aster said, as he began to depart, "Good luck to you guys,"

"Same to you guys," Noland said. Bill shook Noland's hand, wished him good luck and followed behind Aster.

"There are people seriously saying those things about you guys..." Trish said as she shook Noland's hand, "but there are also a lot of us who look up to you guys for getting back in the game..."

"That's encouraging," Noland joked. Trish followed after her teammates and Noland went to the Black Wolf.

"What'd they say...?" Alexander asked as he helped Noland get into the cockpit of the Black Wolf.

"Just gave us another reason we have to win," Noland told him.

"Cael..." Lewis said to Cael who was in the White Wolf's cockpit, preparing the AC, "I understand why ya're impatient... but Underdogs aren't the rookies ya guys've been fightin'. Stick to Alessia's plan,"

Cael closed the cockpit as the White Wolf's Tesla engine hummed, bringing the White Wolf to life.

The gate opened and the White Wolf dashed out, heading straight towards the center of the city. Alessia followed close behind in the Blackbird while Noland in the Black Wolf headed towards the east side outskirts. The match went on for about a minute without anything happening as the Black Raven ACs searched many parts of the city carefully, lookng for their opponents.

"Alessia...?" Cael asked. Alessia was multitasking, piloting the Blackbird and the Sky-Eye at the same time.

"No sign of them..." Alessia reported. "Noland... anything?"

"Nothing. You sure you don't wan't me up on the highway? Or checking the tunnels?"

"You'll be too exposed on the highway. They took advantage of that the last we fought them. And if you're in the tunnels alone, you could get ambushed or you won't be able to back us up..." Alessia explained.

"Stick to the plan... Got it," Noland said.

"They're tactics have changed drastically since last time..." Alessia mumbled to herself.

"Alessia...!" Cael said, noticing a glare on his screen. He quickly moved the White Wolf to the Blackbird's rear, back to back with Alessia just as rifle rounds impacted the White Wolf's forward facing shields. Cael immediately returned fire with his machine gun while Alessia guarded his back. "It's gone...?" Cael said, noticing the glare was gone.

"They aren't showing up on the Blackbird's radar or the Sky-Eye's..." Alessia said to herself.

Noland turned the corner, searching for any signs of the Underdog ACs. As the timer showed that three minutes had passed, he began heading back towards his teammates. It was in that moment that he saw a glare in building. He was about to open fired but realized he wasn't being attacked. He moved the Black Wolf closer to the building and was in awe of what he saw. "Get to the tunnels...!" Noland ordered his teammates. Noland saw that the glare in the building was being cause by a jamming device.

"What's going on, Noland?" Alessia asked.

"They're using jamming devices...!" Noland said, shooting the device, "They could be closer than we think -"

In that moment, Underdogs began their attack starting with Mega, a quadraped AC armed with two back mounted chain guns and two arm mounted shields that attacked Noland head on. Noland returned fire with his machinegun while doing his best to avoid the Mega's bullets, keeping his shield up to block the bullets he couldn't evade. Noland found himself overwhelmed by the rapid attacks of the Mega. "They're using quad legs...!" Noland reported to his teammates.

Noland had trouble keeping up with Aster who was circling to Noland's left at a faster speed than the Black Wolf could adjust. "Damn...!" Noland cursed when the Mega got pass the angle range of the Black Wolf's shield and bullets from the Mega's chainguns began buffeting the left side of the Black Wolf. Seeing the danger of his situation, Noland drove the Black Wolf head first into a building, crashing through it's wall.

Alessia and Cael were making their way towards their comrade. As they were approaching, a quadraped ran right in between them. Alessia attempted to fire at it but it never stopped. The AC just kept going forward, crossing over to the next street and disappearing after turning a corner. Cael adjusted the White Wolf, turning it around to face the Blackbird thinking the Underdogs AC was still behind him. When he had seen the AC fleeing, he was about to go after it. "Cael, no! It's a trap. We need to get to Noland" Alessia said. Cael halted his pursuit and rejoined Alessia as the continued on their way to Noland's location.

The Black Wolf and Mega were engaging in an intense firefight. On several occassions Noland was forced to crash the Black Wolf into a building to prevent the Mega from getting to his weak spot. When Noland had crashed for the fourth third time, he removed his helmet before getting back into the fight. He and Aster resumed their firefight as if there were no pauses in between, picking the fight back up at a fast pace. Noland was sweating, his breathing fast and heavy as he did everything in his power to keep up with Aster, to keep the Mega from outmaneuvering the Black Wolf.

"We're almost to you, Noland!" Alessia said as she and Cael approached Noland's location.

"To the right..!" Cael said as he fired his machinegun at the Underdogs AC approaching them. It dodged the attack and changed it's course. "That AC... two different emblems... Trish, Strasbourg...!"

"Lava... She's trying to draw us away...!" Alessia concluded. Cael grunted in anger. Trish had attacked them several times on route to Noland.

"I'm... tired of this! Alessia, get to Noland," Cael said slowing the White Wolf to a stop.

"Cael, what're you doing? This isn't the plan!" Alessia scolded.

"I'm taking the bait...!" Cael said. As if on cue, Trish's AC, Lava, launched another hit and run attack, firing it's machinguns. Cael fired back and the Lava changed it's course as it dodged the attack. Cael went after it, despite Alessia's disapproval.

"Cael...!" Alessia shouted.

"Get to Noland!" Cael ordered as he chased Trish. Alessia reluctantly headed towards Noland who was still engaging Aster and the Mega.

Noland groaned as the Black Wolf took several direct hits to the cockpit. He crashed into a building in order to cover his flank. "Dammit..." he said, moving his arm and wrist around.

He checked the timer and saw that twelve minutes had passed since the start of the match. "Eight minutes left... I'm sure he's already got 100 points from me..." Noland said wiping the sweat from his head. He gasped when he saw the Mega burst into the building the Black Wolf was resting in. "Damn...!"

The White Wolf chased the Lava throught the streets, firing at the speedy AC. Trish didn't return fire, instead she just avoided Cael's attacks as she ran away. Cael scoffed at the situation. "She's not fighting... an ambush..." Cael thought out loud. "If that's the case... I'll just take you down before we get to the ambush point...!"

Cael dropped both the White Wolf's machineguns and then jettisoned both the shields. He drew both the White Wolf's shotguns, spun the White Wolf and jammed both the shotguns into a building's wall. When the White Wolf was facing forward again he drew both the swords and immediately jammed one into the road. With all but one of the White Wolf's armaments dropped, Cael watched as he drew closer and closer to the Lava as the White Wolf's speed had increased.

Seeing that Cael was on her heels, Trish did an about-face, firing at the White Wolf. Cael ignored the counterattack, instead he lunged at the Lava, stabbing and severing the arm of Trish's AC. As it fell to the ground, Cael rotated the hand of the White Wolf and cut off one of the Lava's front legs as the White Wolf overtook the Lava. The Lava spun out but Trish regained her balance, backing the Lava away. Since Cael had gotten ahead of her, she had no choice but to retreat the way they had come. Cael pursued her as she continued firing at the White Wolf with only a single machinegun.

"She only has the machineguns...?" Cael thought aloud, noticing that the Lava hadn't attack with back mounted weapons. "She must've been the one planting the jammers! If that's the case..."

"No choice but to..." Noland grunted as he dettached the Black Wolf's shield arm. He dodged several of Aster's attacks but he was still being slightly outpaced by the Mega. "Not fast enough... I'll have to -"

"Noland!" Alessia called out just as she fired the Blackbird's rifle at the Mega. Aster had the Mega dodge the attack narrowly but this gave Noland the opportunity to attack with his back mounted rifle. His attack caught Aster off guard and he managed to damage one of the Mega's back legs.

"Where's Cael?" Noland asked as Aster retreated.

"He broke from the plan..." Alessia told him.

"Got you now...!" Cael said as he had the White Wolf pick up the sword it had plunged into the road earlier. He lunged at the Lava, stabbing and slashing at his enemy. His attacks damaged the Lava's machinegun causing Trish to drop it. Cael jammed both of his swords into the ground as he spun the White Wolf, grabbing the White Wolf's shotguns from the wall he had placed them in. Once he was facing the Lava again, he immediately fired both of them, damaging the Lava's last front leg and causing it to skid then eventually crash. Cael quickly finished off the AC by shooting it's Core at point blank range. He scanned the area, expecting Bilbo's AC, Mean Time or Aster's AC, Mega to be approaching to assist their comrade. "If neither of them are here... then... Alessia, Noland..."

"A trap...!" Alessia said as Bilbo's AC, Mean Time began it's assault. She and Noland had followed the Mega into what was meant to be a floodway. The Mean Time was waiting there, firing a barrage of missiles at the Black Wolf and Blackbird as they entered the floodway.

"Adhesives...!" Noland exclaimed after seeing what was in the missile when some of the incoming missiles missed, hitting the ground nearby. He and Alessia quickly tried backing away to escape the volley of adhesive missiles raining down on them. Missiles hit the Blackbird's shield arm and a front leg wheel just as Alessia managed to escape the barrage although Noland was not as lucky. The Black Wolf wasn't as fast as the Blackbird and it was hit by several adhesive missiles. The impact of the missiles knocked the Black Wolf on it's back and the adhesives pinned it to the ground.

"Cael, Noland's down and both Mega and Mean Time are here," Alessia reported as she began examining the Mean Time.

"I'm already on my way," Cael told her.

"Their ACs use to all be bipedals..." Alessia thought aloud. She gasped when she saw the Mean Time jettison it's missile launchers revealing the two back mounted rifles on it's back. "That was... an extension?"

Both of the Underdogs ACs were already advancing towards Alessia. She tried to run away but noticed an operation error in the Blackbird's front left leg. "The wheel's jammed...!" she said aloud.

She turned the Blackbird back towards her opponents as they grew closer. The Blackbird wouldn't be able to outrun them, not with a jammed wheel, so she would have to fight off both the Mega and the Mean Time until Cael arrived. Alessia looked at the timer and saw that there were less than five minutes left in the match.

The second that they were in range, both the Mega and Mean Time opened fire with their chainguns. Alessia attempted to avoid some of the bullets but ultimately failed. The jammed wheel of the Blackbird slowed the it down so Alessia changed tactics as she fired back with her rifle.

Instead of trying to avoid their attacks, Alessia went towards them, trying to do as much damage as possible. Many of her shots missed but she managed to land several though none of them caused any significant damage. As the timer reached four minutes, Alessia made a last ditch effort to do some damage to the two ACs circling her. She rushed at the Mega, firing her rifle, in an attempt to tackle it but her attack failed as the Mean Time blew out one of the Blackbird's back legs, halting her rush as the Mega shot the Blackbird's rifle, damaging it. Unable to move the Blackbird, Alessia had no choice but to sit and wait for the Underdogs ACs to finish the Blackbird off.

Cael dashed straight into the middle of the fight, firing his shotguns at the two Underdogs ACs. They kept circling the White Wolf as it engaged them and their battle began leading them away from the Blackbird. Cael kept mobile, dancing in, out and around his two opponents. He fired his shotguns at them every time they were in his range and Cael took occassional glances at the ammo counter for his shotguns, dreading the moment when the ammo counter reached zero.

He glanced at the timer, now at less than two minutes, and began to increase the pace of his attack. When his shotguns were empty, he spun the White Wolf, releasing the shotguns as he did and quickly had the White Wolf draw it's swords. One of his shotguns hit the Mean Time and the force from the impact staggered it. Cael saw this and immediately attacked it, cutting off one of it's front legs then following through by cuting of the back leg on the same side. The Mean Time fell to the ground, two of it's legs missing.

Cael was about to finish it off but the Mega was attacking ferociously now. Cael ignored the Mean Time and the Mega's chaingun fire, lunging towards the Mega, stabbing it's Core. The White Wolf's blade plunged deep into the Mega's Core, disabling it seconds later. Cael returned to the Mean Time and jammed his sword through the side of it's Core. With less than a minute left, the match had ended and Black Raven had won yet again.


	38. Chapter 12-1

**Act II**

 **Chapter 12-1**

 **?**

Week 8 - Day 2

"We made it into the tournament," Lewis said to Alessia, "Thought ya'd be a bit more cheerful 'bout that,"

Alessia sighed as she typed on her tablet. After their victory over Underdogs and after watching the final match of round 7 of the qualifying matches, Alessia had been busy with all sorts of work. She had to oversee the team's budget and purchase the necessary parts for repairs. She had to continue the search for sponsors for the team, sending letters to request sponsorships and sending letters to turn down smaller sponsorships with too unreasonable many conditions. She also had to review the teams who had made it into the tournament. Lewis sat, half watching the replays from saturday's matches and half watching Alessia type her messages as she complained to herself without realizing she was complaining to herself out loud.

"This is... so frustrating. Why the hell would they think we'd accept these terms...?" Alessia asked, practically screaming at the tablet. Lewis sighed heavily, turning off the recording he was watching and stood up.

"If ya wanna talk about somethin' let me know. As of right now though, I can't go over this stuff while ya're flippin' out like this," Lewis told her as he left the office.

Downstairs, Alexander worked hard as he and the crew began their planned repairs for the ACs while Noland stood up on the catwalk observing them. Lewis joined Noland, lightly punching him as a greeting.

"Ya okay...?" Lewis asked. He could see that something was on Noland's mind.

"Guess you could say that..." Noland said. "I was just thinkin' about my fight with Aster last week..."

"Your numbers were good. That was probably the best shape ya've been in all season," Lewis said.

"That's the problem... During that whole skirmish... I felt... I mean I knew I was doin' good out there but... I just -"

"Ya think ya could do better...?"

"Yeah... way better... and I tried but I just couldn't get any better during that fight..."

"And it makes ya wonder... Can ya get better?"

"Can I get better?" Noland repeated, emphasizing the question.

"I'll go over to the simulator with ya tomorrow and we'll see if we can answer that question. Aren't ya goin' to see ya mom today?"

"Oh yeah, it is monday, isn't it?"

"Your data from that last match is impressive," Dr. Vinheim said as he sat at his computer, typing and reviewing data from Black Raven's Underdogs match. Cael sat in the chair of a machine, waiting as the machine scanned and collected data from the Navis implant. To scan the Navis and retrieve data from it, Cael had to sit still as the machine inserted a type of rod into the access point on Cael's upper back. The access point was a device that had to be forced open in order to get to the Navis attached to Cael's spine. Then, when the rod was inside the access point, it opened to reveal a smaller device that would connect to the Navis' port and download data from the device. The whole process took about seven minutes and, when it was done, the machine repeated the process to access the other part of the Navis in Cael's lower back.

"Are you sure there won't be any problems with the holes in my back?" Cael asked as he watched Dr. Vinheim go over data.

"Well if there are you'll be in a coma or dead long before I can diagnose you, Mr. Nox," Dr. Vinheim joked.

"I'm serious..." Cael asked.

"You ask me this every other check up, Mr. Nox. The answer is the same as the first time. I don't know but hopefully not," Dr. Vinheim sighed.

"Last time you said "probably not"..." Cael corrected, his brow furrowed.

"Oh did I? Well potato, potato, tomato, tomato as they say," Dr. Vinheim laughed.

""Not funny..."

"Even so... It's nice to see that you've kept a healthy fear of death, Mr Nox. After coming as close to death as you, I've known men that lost all respect for it,"

"Alex," Alessia called as she approached Alexander who was directing the crew.

"Yeah?" Alexander asked. Alessia handed him her tablet and he looked over what was on the screen.

"This is -"

"Part list. Replacement legs for the Blackbird, shields for the Black Wolf. Everything we need is in red but I'm not sure if that's verything. If there's something else I missed that we need, get it,"

"This," Alexander said as he scrolled through the list, "Why're the parts for the Hawk on here? I'm not gonna change my mind, Alessia."

"You don't know that and if you do -"

"I won't -"

"If you do... The Hawk needs to be ready... I'm not asking, Alex," Alessia said as she turned to leave.

"Even if I do change my mind... I can't, Alessia..." Alexander said with sadness in his voice. His words stopped Alessia in her tracks and she turned to face her friend, looking him straight in the eye. Alexander, looked down at his hand and Alessia instantly felt bad. It was only barely noticeable but there was a slight quiver in Alexander's hand. It was spontaneous, erratic, barely noticeable but there if you looked closely enough.

"Alex -" she said.

"It's not just my hands... My eyes are... Things look shaky all the time, and sometimes fuzzy..." Alexander explained. Alessia came closer to Alexander so no one would overhear them.

"The accident?" Alessia asked. Alexander nodded his head, yes.

"Every night... before I go to sleep, I work on the smallest parts I can get my hands on, trying to get my hands to adjust. It worked for my hands a little but I can't do the same with my eyes. I joined the team to be an engineer. I started piloting because I wanted to help the team anyway I could. I can only help the team in two ways and that night, I almost lost both..." Alexander explained as he went through the list, removing parts for the Hawk from it, "I can't help the team, not as a pilot... and I'm not keen on risking the one way I can help the team,"

When Alexander had finished editing the list he showed it to Alessia. The beginnings of tears were starting to form in her eyes but she wiped them away as she looked at the list. When she had confirmed the changes, she nodded to Alexander who then took the list and left to order the parts. Alessia looked up to the catwalk where Lewis had been watching. She went up to the catwalk and leaned on the railing beside him.

"Did you know?" she asked him.

"Joe told me a while back. Alex went straight to work fixin' MTs after he was released from the hospital. Gained back somethin' he lost. Was hopin' him bein' here would make 'im wanna get back in a cockpit..." Lewis told her.

"Will we ever get back to how we were before?"

"No... but if gettin' back to the way things were's what ya're focusin' on... ya're focusin' on the wrong things," Lewis said and Alessia began to cry at the thought that things would never be as they were. Lewis put his arm around her and they stood there for a while.

"What're you talkin' about? Why're you releasing her?" Noland asked the doctor. He had overheard the doctor and his mother talking about discharging her as he entered. Noland's entry and outburst created a tense silence in the room. "She's sick...!"

"Mr. North..." the doctor said. Noland's mother put her hand on the doctor's elbow and the doctor understood what the gesture meant. "I'll give you two a moment to discuss, Mrs. North,".

"What's he talkin' about mom?" Noland asked when the doctor had left the room. He went over to his mother's bedside and sat in the chair that was there as his mother sighed.

"I don't know how to tell you this, Noland... There's been no payment..." Anna said, reaching out for Noland's hand. She could see the anger in her son's eyes building up.

"He stopped paying?" Noland asked angrily, his teeth clenched tight.

"Nol -"

"That piece of shit...!" Noland said, standing up out of the chair. "He leaves when you're sick and now this...?"

"Don't say that about your father! You know he's in the UEN military... He could have been killed..." Noland's mother reasoned.

"He better be dead...! He had no business goin' off to fight some other country's war when his wife was sick! You needed him! We needed him and he wasn't here! Why're you making excuses for him!" Noland raged, unable to hide his anger.

"Noland, he's still your father..." Anna said, trying to calm her son. She watched as Noland paced around the room and saw a look of confusion replace the look of anger.

"Wait... why is this happening now? Payments are for the month... the month hasn't ended yet," Noland thought out aloud, "He didn't pay for this month... He didn't pay for this month!"

"Noland -"

"This hospital is suppose to have a one month grace period... He hasn't been paying for two months?" Noland asked his mother.

"Four," Noland's mother sighed.

"Four months...?" Noland asked, more a shout than a question.

"Four years... Noland!" Anna told him, her words knocking the air out of Noland for the briefest of moments. The revelation hit Noland hard and restarted his anger. He screamed in anger but quieted himself, remembering that he was in a hospital. Anna could only watch with worried eyes as her son stomped around the room, furious, until he began to compose himself. When he had regained himself, he threw himself into the chair at his mother's bedside and let out a heavy sigh.

"I didn't make enough to cover the payments, not on my own. So if he hasn't been covering the rest of the payment for the last four years, why is this only just now coming up?" Noland asked, keeping his anger at bay.

"Lewis..." Anna said. Noland sighed and rested his head in his hands. "Lewis came to see me, a few days before your championship match that year. I told him... He didn't want to tell you because he wanted to keep you focused. He's been covering the payments since then..."

"So my father hasn't even had the decency to cover his sick wife's hospital bill... for the last four years... And it was Lewis' idea to not tell me about it...?" Noland asked.

"No. Lewis wanted to tell you right after the match but I told him not to. I told him I'd tell you myself..." Anna explained.

"Why would you wait until now to tell me...? Don't you think I should know that my father's a piece of shit?" Noland asked, his anger back.

"I didn't know if your father was dead or not! And I didn't want you distracted from your career!"

"That's not something you get to decide! He's my father!" Noland yelled as he got up and headed to the door.

"Where're you going, Noland?" Noland's mother asked. Noland stopped and sighed.

"If he was dead, we'd have gotten a message from the UEN about it by now. No message means he's not missing or dead..." Noland said as he walked off.

"But where are you going, Noland?" Anna asked, shouting the question.

"To do what I should've done four years ago..." Noland said, more to himself than to his mother..."

"Nurse...?" Anna called into the microphone built into her bed.


	39. Chapter 12-2

**Act II**

 **Chapter 12-2**

 **?**

Week 8 - Day 3

"He wa'n't answerin' his phone yesterday. I'll talk to him today after trainin' if he comes in," Lewis said, talking on the phone.

"I'm worried about him. I think he's gone and joined back up with that gang..." Anna said over the phone.

"Ya don't know that for sure. If he doe'n't show up I'll look around for him, okay?"

"Please talk to him..."

"I will Anna... You relax an' let me handle him," Lewis said. They ended the call on that note. Lewis sighed and leaned back in his chair. He was in the office with Alessia who had stopped what she was doing to try to listen in on the conversation.

"Noland still mad about..." Alessia asked.

"His mom's worried about him. He i'n't always reckless... but when he is..." Lewis said, sighing, "We got five weeks to prepare for the tournament. We do not need this right now..."

"You shoulda told me sooner. All this time you were paying for his mom's hospital bills... We coulda helped...!" Alessia said.

"It wa'n't my business to tell. If ya wanted to know sooner, ya should o' asked his mom about it..." Lewis said.

"What're you gonna say to him?"

"If he even shows up today... I don't know. Whatever I need to say... but first... I need to see where his head's at,"

Lewis looked out the office window where he saw Noland entering through the hangar doors. Lewis stretched in his chair, got up and stretched again before leaving the office, heading across the catwalk then down the stairs to the hangar floor. When he got to Noland, he stood in front of him, waiting to see what Noland would say. Noland didn't say anything as he and Lewis stood there, their eyes locked.

"We got simulator time booked at the arena," Lewis said, gesturing with his head for Noland to follow him as he walked towards the doors.

They took Lewis' car and drove to the arena. Traffic was light and Lewis took the shortest route to the arena. The large broadcast monitors on display on some of the buildings in the entertainment district showed an interesting scene. A large number of MTs were gathering. Noland watched the screen attentatively and was surprised when he saw that they were the UEN military's newest combat MTs. The headline read, "UEN Military Gathers in Anatolia. Possible Offensive Underway,".

"That's one of the reasons why... ACs should never be fully weaponized..." Lewis said.

"They're already weaponized though..." Noland said, not taking his eyes off the monitors.

"The ACs we use're made to be easily damaged. The munitions we use're made to penetrate AC armor but it'd shatter against a military grade MT's armor... The only part of an AC that's anywhere near war ready is the cockpit... and it should stay that way..." Lewis explained.

They arrived at the arena and Lewis parked his car in the underground parking lot reserved for teams during the season. They headed inside through the underground entrance but didn't take the elevator up because the facility they would be using was underground as well.

Lewis checked them in at the desk before they headed to the simulator room they would be using. The simulator rooms in the arena were large pods that acted as cockpits for pilots to train. The arena had eight simulator rooms in total, each with ten simulator pods. If there wasn't enough space in the rooms, the arena would allow teams to run the simulator software on their own ACs while at the arena hangars.

Due to the increase in demand for cockpits that handicapped people could use, the ACFL decided to add an extra five pods in one of the rooms and each of the new pods were designed for a specific handicap. There was a pod for people who had no use of their arms and it was also used for people who had no use of their legs. There were two for pilots who only had use of one leg, one for the left leg and one for the right. There were also two for people who only had use of one arm, one for the left arm and one for the right. After checking to make sure no one was using the pod, Noland prepped the right handing pod for use.

There were several other people in the room watching as Noland and Lewis set up. Noland and Lewis could hear the hushed whispers of the people in the room although the same people weren't doing a good job at keeping their voices inaudible. Noland heard the whisperers talking, questioning each other as to whether or not he actually intended to fight in the tournament. They talked about all the crashes he made during the Underdogs match, mentioned how Cael could walk again, how Alessia could see again and how he still had his injury. The anger in Noland began to build up and Lewis could see it. He was about to make a move to calm his protege when suddenly the sound of a person clapping sliced through the tension. Noland and Lewis were surprised to see that Laurence was approaching them, clapping as he did.

"You making fun of me...?" Noland asked the Dread Scythe pilot. He had left the simulator pod's side to confront the man.

"Of course not..." Laurence chuckled, "Why would I make fun of someone putting forward such an... admirable effort?"

"You're the pilot of the yellow AC" Noland said, his voice serious. Lewis stood to the side, watching Noland and studying how he would react to this unexpected meeting. Laurence laughed at the question which made Noland clench his fist in fury.

"No. I pilot the golden AC, Fina,"

"You're the one... that crushed Alex's cockpit..."

"Heh... I had no idea that would happen... Please, send my apologies to your friend..."

"I've never seen the pilot of the purple AC without her helmet... Why doesn't she show her face?" Noland asked, serious but Laurence laughed at the question.

"Curious about our little Dusk, eh? She's quite shy," Laurence laughed.

"Noland, we got to get to work..." Lewis said, breaking up the two pilots's chat. Noland turned toward the simulator pod, walking back to it but he stopped when he heard Laurence's taunt.

"There are people here who think that you're past your prime. I'm inclined to agree with them..." Laurence taunted. The taunt got to Noland, who turned back around to face the Dread Scythe pilot.

"If you got somethin' to say, say it...!" Noland said with anger beginning to seep through his voice. Laurence laughed at Noland's reaction.

"I'm not much for talking actually... heh heh... No... Solomon thinks I shouldn't underestimate you. That's actually the reason I've come here today. To see if he's right. To challenge you to a match on the simulator,"

Gasps filled the room as the spectators reacted to Laurence's challenge. The room fell silent save for the hum of the simulator pods. All eyes were on Noland as the people in the room waited to hear Noland's response. Lewis went over to Noland and got between the two.

"Nol... This i'n't what we came here to do..." Lewis warned. Noland pushed his coach aside and looked Laurence in the eye.

"You're on..." Noland said. Lewis hit himself in the face with his hand as he sighed.

Alessia was typing on her tablet when she received a message from the ACFL Commission. Surprised, she stopped typing the message she was preparing and opened the message. She gasped after looking over the contents.

"I don't think this is a good idea..." Lewis said as he loaded Noland's AC data into the simulator but Noland was already in the pod with the hatch open.

"Just do it..." Noland said. He closed the hatch and settled into the pod's cockpit chair. Lewis finished loading the Black Wolf's assembly data onto the simulator pod. The simulator booted up and Noland selected the human versus human option in the simulator's menu.

The inside of the pod went black for a moment before lighting up again and then the screens in the pod's cockpit displayed a virtual ruined city battlefield beneath the dome of the arena. A quick, brief beeping sound played in the pod, alerting Noland of the incoming video call. Noland answered the call and a video feed of Laurence showed up in the bottom left corner on the left side screen.

"Show me what you've got, Black Wolf..." Laurence taunted, laughing after. Noland minimized the video screen as the ten second countdown timer began, counting down until the start of the virtual battle.

"Can ya hear me Noland?" Lewis asked through the voice only communication line. He was watching the fight from the outside of the pod on a monitor built in to the pod's outside computer.

"Yes..." Noland answered.

"Ya don't have to do this, Noland..." Lewis pleaded.

"Yeah... I do..."

The countdown reached zero and Noland gained control of the simulated Black Wolf. He drove the virtual Black Wolf towards the entrance ramp to the highway and got on. He traveled along the highway road keeping his eyes on the city below, searching for Laurence. He was surprised to see that Laurence was actually on the highway, facing him. He slowed the Black Wolf to a stop, waiting to see what Laurence would do.

"What..." Noland said, examining Laurence's AC, "That's not your AC!"

"Heh heh heh... No it's not. It's one of MiraTech's earlier lines..." Laurence laughed. He was in a medium weight bipedal armed with a machinegun, a shield, a back mounted cannon, and missile launcher extensions on the shoulders.

"You're underestimating me...!" Noland shouted. He brought the Black Wolf's machingun up and aimed it at Laurence's AC. Laurence dashed at Noland, jettisoning all of his AC's weaponry except for the shield. This move made Noland hesitate as Laurence closed the distance. Realizing that he had a shot, Noland fired his machinegun while maneuvering the Black Wolf to the side in a preemptive attempt to flank the Dread Scythe pilot.

"Weak..." Laurence's voice taunted.

"Round two...!" Alessia gasped. She was going over the tournament schedule that she had been sent. The matches were set and Black Raven would be fighting the all women veterans team Amazon in the first round but that is not what shocked her so deeply to her core. In the next set over, the veteran team Arena Aces was scheduled to take on last season's champions, team Dread Scythe. Depending on the outcomes of the first round, Black Raven could wind up facing off against Dread Scythe in the second round of the tournament. Alessia was silent as she looked at the schedule. She covered her mouth with her hand without reallying knowing why, just reacting to this revelation.

The spectators looked on in awe. They had put the battle between Laurence and Noland up on one of the large monitors although it was almost for nothing. The battle was short and the outcome wasn't unexpected however, the brevity of the battle came as a shock to all. Laurence exited his simulator pod and dusted himself off with a grin on his face. He along with the other spectators waited for Noland to exit his pod but Noland never did. Noland was paralyzed inside his simulator pod and he didn't understand what had just happened. When he realized he was trembling he let go of the control stick and after a moment he heard Lewis calling to him. When Noland didn't come out, Laurence chuckled.

"I guess Solomon was wrong. At least you tried..." Laurence said as he left the room, laughing as he did.

"Noland... answer me kid..." Lewis called once Laurence had gone, "Laurence's gone,"

The simulator pod opened, revealing Noland who sat trembling in the pod's chair. He climbed out slowly, still shaking from what had just happened and he didn't speak to Lewis, just heading towards the door instead. The others were silent as they watched Nolandand Lewis sighed before reseting the simulator then following Noland out of the room. He tailed Noland to the parking lot, neither of them speaking, and made sure he examined how Noland was reacting to what had just happened. When Noland got to Lewis' car he tried to open the door but it was locked. He looked to Lewis, who looked to him, and sighed.

"What...?" Noland asked, angry. Lewis didn't say anything, just looked at him from the driver's side. "If you got something to say, say it...!"

Lewis didn't say anything. He unlocked the car door and got inside. Noland did as well and the drive back to the hangar felt longer than the drive to the arena. When they had returned to the hangar, Lewis parked the car but neither of them got out. "You had no right to keep that from me..." Noland said.

"I had no right to tell ya either..." Lewis said. Noland got out of the car and Lewis did shortly after as well. When Lewis saw that Noland was headed towards the bus stop he sighed.

"Where're ya goin'?" Lewis asked.

"None of your business..." Noland replied.

"If ya're goin' back to Raza... don't come back here...!" Lewis shouted. His words stopped Noland in his tracks. Alessia who was heading to her car, saw the two and came over to where they were. When she was close enough to sense the tension, she stopped trying to figure out what was happening.

"So you're kicking me off the team...?" Noland asked as he turned to face Lewis.

"What...?" Alessia asked, surprised and unsure of what was happening.

"We don't need criminals 'round here. We got enough trouble..." Lewis said.

"No!" Alessia argued, running to Lewis, "I'm the owner and I'm not firing him! We need him!"

"Then I'm quittin'," Lewis said angrily.

"What...? No! Why're you doin' this?" Alessia pleaded.

"I'm not on this team just so I can watch a good kid put himself in the ground early...!" Lewis shouted.

"Not sure if you noticed but this i'n't exactly a payin' job!" Noland yelled back, "and you're not still paying my mom's hospital bill! My dad's not payin' it either! That leaves me...!"

"So, what? Ya go back to Raza's gang and make some credits... Then what? Ya get shot... or killed... then who's gonna pay for ya mom's hospital bill? It won't be us 'cause ya'll be in the ground and we can't do this without ya..."

"You don't have to do this without me. You're the one forcing the situation!"

"Today I saw what ya could do when ya attention was divided. What I saw, that Noland, i'n't enough. Not for what we're up against! That Noland is gonna die if he starts workin' for Raza. Ya're gonna die, if ya start workin' for Raza...!"

"Well what am I supposed to do? Get real, Lewis...! We both know we're not gonna beat Dread Scythe. You didn't need today to see that, to know that. You're askin' me to risk my mom's life... and for what?

"Noland...!" Alessia exclaimed.

"I'm askin' ya not to risk yours...! The only thing I know's that we won't win if we ain't all dedicated to this. Those guys in there're dedicated to this. Cael's dedicated to this. Alessia's dedicated to this. I'm dedicated to this. It's time for ya to decide if ya dedicated to this or not..." Lewis said.

"Lewis, stop it...!" Alessia scolded.

"Then..." Noland said, trembling, "I guess I'm not..."

"Noland!" Alessia yelled at Noland as he turned and walked away. Alessia ran after him and Lewis shook his head in disappointment before heading to the hangar.

"Noland, wait!" Alessia called out to her friend. When she had caught up to him she pulled on his arm in an attempt to stop him but Noland yanked his arm free every time Alessia would grab onto it.

"Leave me alone, Alessia..." Noland ordered. Alessia ignored him and continued trying to stop him.

"Come on, Nol! Cael is suppose to be the moody one, not you!" Alessia said, joking but trying to hold back tears at the same time. Alessia tried stopping Noland all the way to the bus stop. Noland got on the bus but Alessia didn't. She pleaded with her friend from the outside of the bus while Noland paid his bus faire. The door closed and the bus drove off leaving Alessia alone, further from the hangar than she thought she was.

When she got back to the hangar, after she had shed her tears, she went up to the office where Lewis and Alexander were. She walked in and immediately expressed her anger, kicking the wall inside the office repeatedly. Lewis and Alexander watched her, concerned but neither daring to say anything. Lewis had explained the situation to Alexander already so he knew the severity of things. When Alessia had tired herself out from kicking the wall, she leaned her head against it and sighed.

"What the hell were you thinking...?" she asked Lewis.

"I told ya I'd say what I had to..." Lewis reminded her.

"You didn't need to say all that..." Alessia scolded.

"Yeah... I did..."

"In four weeks, Dread Scythe will be fighting Arena Aces... When they win... their round two opponent will be whoever wins the Amazon-Black Raven fight..."

Lewis and Alexander were shocked by Alessia's words.

"You didn't need to say all that right now..." Alessia repeated.


	40. Chapter 12-3

**Act II**

 **Chapter 12-3**

 **?**

Week 8 - Day 7

The breeze felt good against Cael's skin as he ran and he could run further now than he could the week before. As he ran by the lake near his apartment, he saw someone who seemed familiar to him looking out towards the lake. It was not until Cael passed by the person that he realized who it was and he stopped as soon as he realized that the person looking out towards the lake, in a white dress shirt with black pants, wearing a split dark red, black vest was Solomon Burnes. Solomon turned his head to face Cael with a grin on his face as he removed his sun glasses. Cael turned to face Solomon and he locked eyes with the blue eyed pilot of Dread Scythe.

"You..." Cael said.

"Didn't expect to see you here..." Solomon said.

"I live around here... Why're you here?"

"Waiting for Dusk. She's the third pilot of Dread Scythe. I don't believe you two have met in person..."

The unexpected meeting threw Cael off and he didn't understand what he was feeling in the moment. When he realized his fists were closed tight, he knew that what he was feeling was anger. Solomon glanced at Cael's fists and turned his head back towards the lake, still grinning.

"So I guess you're still upset that I injured you..." Solomon said. Cael moved a few steps closer to his foe and Solomon laughed quietly. "You could attack me now but I'm no stranger to a fight. Besides, there are people here. If they found out who we were, we would both get suspended,"

Cael looked around the edges of the lake and saw several other people all doing various things. Some people were fishing, some having a picnic, and some exercising. Cael knew Solomon was right so he relaxed his hands and calmed himself. Solomon saw Cael relax and laughed another quiet laugh.

"Can I be honest with you... Cael?" Solomon asked. Cael was surprised by the question and confused by the nature of it. When he didn't give an answer Solomon continued. "You are by far the best pilot I have faced so far..."

Solomon waited for Cael to say something but Cael was silent. He didn't know how to respond to Solomon's words. He didn't know if Solomon was making fun of him or genuinely complimenting him.

"Before I was an AC pilot I worked as a security contractor in Britain. I was an explosives expert. I mostly helped put out fires and track down arsonists. Every now and then I'd get sent overseas to help bomb disposal teams..."

"Why're you telling me this...?" Cael asked.

"Whenever I was the one disarming the bombs or putting out the fires or rescuing someone from a burning building, I'd get this feeling. So close to death... I felt... alive..." Solomon continued, ignoring Cael's question.

"What makes you think I care?"

"Hahaha... I don't want or expect you to care... I just want you to understand... When I became an AC pilot, I hated it... at first. Because of safety regulations, I knew I wouldn't die. My life wasn't on the line... I wasn't saving anyone... No one's life was at risk and I no longer felt that feeling of being alive I felt before... Then I fought you..."

"Let me guess. Thanks to me, you felt alive again...?"

"Make fun if you want but that's the truth... After all... you almost died in that fight..." Solomon said, with a smile on his face. Cael's hands formed a fist again with his anger renewed.

"Calm down," Solomon laughed, "The reason I'm bringing it up is because I never thanked you for it. So thank you... Are you ready to leave... Dusk?"

Cael turned around to see a young woman, Dusk, standing a few feet away from him. The woman didn't answer Solomon's question or say anything. She just stood there, observing Cael. Solomon took her silence as confirmation and went to her side. Cael watched as the two walked away and noticed when they stopped abruptly. Solomon turned so that he could look Cael in the eye. His grin was gone, the expression on his face stern and serious.

"You did me a favor that day..." Solomon said, "I'll repay that favor now... Cael... you cannot defeat me. You and I are more alike than I bet either of us thought. I know what drives you is your desire to be the best... That is the same thing that drives me. We want to be the best because only by being the best can we ever fight the best opponents, opponents that can make us feel alive in the cockpit... And that is why you'll never defeat me. We're the same with little difference. The only difference between us that matters in the arena... is that I'm better..."

Cael felt as blood began to make it's way down his nails. His hands hurt from how tightly they were clenched but Cael didn't care. If they were not clenched tightly at his sides, then they'd be punching Solomon in his face or strangling him, possibly both.

"But we both know that. I'm doing you a favor by saying it out loud. The sooner you acknowledge that, the easier it'll be for you when Black Raven loses to us in the second round..." Solomon said. He had said all he wanted to say and, together with Dusk, they left the lake getting in a car that was parked nearby. Cael stood where he was, looking down at the dirt and his blood hitting the dirt. It wasn't until a dog came by and licked some of the blood from his nails that he snapped out of his trance-like state. The owner of the dog came to get his dog and apologized as Cael walked away.

When the bus stopped, Cael got off and walked the rest of the way to Black Raven's hangar. The hangar was busy as always with crews overseeing the maintenance of the ACs but Cael felt that something was off. It took him a moment to figure out what it was that was off and he came to the conclusion that it was the air. He made his way up to the office where Alessia was talking on the phone as she typed, easing his way in quietly so as not to disturb her and sat in the chair across from her. Then, when she had finished talking on the phone and groaning, Alessia greeted Cael with a wave.

"The air down there..." Cael said.

"There's talk of some of the workers quitting... A lot of them don't believe we can do this without Nol," Alessia sighed.

"They might be right..." Cael mumbled. Alessia heard him and stopped typing for a brief moment. "Where's Lewis...?"

"Missed him by a few minutes. He went to see Vai... I think..."


	41. Chapter 12-4

**Act II**

 **Chapter 12-4**

 **?**

Week 8 - Day 7

The door opened just as Lewis was about to knock on it. He wasn't expecting Vai to be home but there she stood, flask in hand, hoody, ripped jeans, sneakers, messy hair, and the stench of a person who had been drinking a lot. It took him a while to understand that the bulk of the stench was coming from Vai's apartment and not Vai herself. Lewis gave Vai a scolding look then Vai scoffed, pushed Lewis aside and headed to the elevator.

"Didn't think ya'd be here," Lewis said, "Where've ya been?"

"Felipe's..." Vai answered, "Before you ask, no. I'm not interested..."

"Ya don't even know what I was gonna ask..."

"You want me back on the team..."

"Was gonna ask where ya goin' first..." Lewis joked. There was a break in the conversation before Vai answered.

"To see my mom..." Vai said as she and Lewis got onto the elevator. Lewis' eyes widened slightly from the news.

"Ya found her? Charles know? Where is she?"

"Yes, no, hospital..." Vai said, keeping her answers as short and blunt as possible. She pressed the button for th ground floor and the elevator sped down.

"Hospital? Did somethin' happen to her? She alright?"

"She's fine. Just suffering from typical drug addict problems. Nothin' new..."

"Vai...!"

"Later Lewis..." Vai said as the elevator stopped and it's doors opened. She got off and headed out the building leaving Lewis scratching his head in the lobby. Vai took a bus to the nearby hospital. It didn't take long for the bus to arrive due to it being a public transit bus with only a few stops. When she got to the hospital, Vai went to the desk where she asked for information about her mother. The nurse told her about her mother's condition and her mother's room number then Vai went up to the second floor where she found her mother's room.

"Vai...!" her mother said. Vai didn't say anything as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Come in! Sit-"

"Why'd you come here?" Vai asked flatly. Her mother was confused by the question.

"What do you mean? I was sick and you called the-"

"I meant my apartment..."

The room fell silent when Vai's mother couldn't answer her daughter's question. The only thing that made any sound in the room was the medical equipment that was keeping track of Vai's mother's condition.

"I-I... I wanted to see you-"

"You shouldn't have come..." Vai said, causing another silence to take hold of the room.

"Well... I'm glad I did. You saved my life-"

"Wouldn't've needed saving if you weren't overdosing on Reave..."

"Why would you assume-"

"Stop. Just stop, okay. I'm not a kid anymore. I've seen you like that before and the doctor told me they found Reave in your system..."

"Oh, Vai...! That's not fair! You know I-"

"Stop...!" Vai yelled, "I didn't come here to hear your excuses. You never show up unless you want something... So what do you want? Why are you here?"

"...You, you never want me to come see you so I don't-" Vai's mother pleaded.

"Okay..." Vai interrupted. She started to turn towards the door.

"Wait...!" her mother begged, "I just wanted you to know that... I'm checking into rehab... and... I'm gonna get clean... and-"

"You've said this stuff before... and nothing's ever changed... Good-bye mother..." Vai said, leaving her mother's room and the hospital.

She walked along the sidewalk, holding back tears, not knowing if she was angry or sad. After walking several blocks away from the hospital, passing the bus stop, she found an empty bench where she sat. Vai wiped away her tears and pulled out the flask she had tucked away in the inside pocket of her hoodie. She shook the flask and listened to the sound of the alcohol as it swished around inside before she started drinking from it.

Vai looked around the area and saw that no people were around. She was in the company of new buildings and a few old ones. She had walked further than she thought she had and only just began to notice the sweat on her body. The area she was in was old and was scheduled to have the few buildings there demolished so that they could be rebuilt as an expansion of Circle City. It was because the place was scheduled for demolition that no one was there. It was perfect.

Vai put her legs up on the bench and laid her head on the arm rest. She began crying, her wailing echoing through the area. She laid there, crying and drinking, drinking and crying.


	42. Chapter 12-5

**Act II**

 **Chapter 12-5**

 **?**

Week 9 - Day 6

Noland entered the room where Raza and two of his enforcers sat. They were speaking in hushed tones, actively trying to keep Noland from hearing what they were saying. Noland stayed away from them while they discussed whatever it was they were discussing and when they had finished, Raza's enforcers left the room then Raza gestured for Noland to come forward.

"No no Noland North!" Raza laughed, "Ya late pardna! You was been 'posed ta be here... Where was ya?"

Noland sat on the edge of one of the tables that didn't have guns or money on it. He looked around the room. It was large, filled with guns, money, drugs, and other contraband. Raza sat behind a desk, leaning back in his chair and examining Noland as Noland examined him.

"I got spotted by some fans on the way here. Had to lose 'em," Noland explained.

"Oh yeah, yeah. You's a supastar ain't it?" Raza laughed, "Word-on-tha-street is... you quit that supastar team o' yours... That true?"

"That's my business Ray. I didn't come here to talk..."

"Oh shit. Tha boy got serious," Raza mocked. He got up out of his chair and took a gun from out of his desk. Noland saw it and waved his hand, no. "We go way back, No, but I ain't like them ol' fucks had us runnin' ney shit 'round wi' no heat. Nah bitch. Ya wanna run in my crew, you pack. E'rbody stay strapped,"

"What makes you think I can still shoot?" Noland asked, waving the stub of his missing arm around.

"Oh shit... yeah, yeah. I'll get you a lady piece then,"

"No guns Ray. I'm here to pilot the MT. That's it..."

"Man, I basic'lly jus' got this crew set up like this. Can't have ya come up in here an' doin' whateva man... I'll give ya a dry ol' school thirty-eight, aight? But ya gotta pack or I can't give ya the job..."

Noland sighed and nodded in agreement. Raza went back to his desk, put the gun he had gotten for Noland back and took out another, smaller gun. He took it to Noland, showed him it was empty, then put it in Noland's hand. He pat Noland on the shoulder and the two left the room and went to the room where Raza's crew were getting ready to move.

Trucks, guns, ammunition and people were everywhere. Raza lead Noland beyond them to the humanoid MT in the corner of the room and Noland examined the machine while Raza watched. The MT was an old construction model painted black and modified for combat. It had a back mounted rifle and a shield mounted onto the left arm.

"You expectin' a lotta trouble...?" Noland asked, gesturing to the combat modifications. "I didn't agree to that..."

"Nah man, chill. Jus' need ya ta move some cargo an' we get paid. It ain't gon' be no need fa no shootin' an' shit, aight? Promise. But jus' in case, y'know?" Raza explained.

"Yeah I don't know... I know you startin' to sound more like those ol' fucks we use to run for..." Noland said.

"Man, fuck you. Ya want tha job o' not?" Raza said.

"Yeah..." Noland sighed, "But this thing is old. Does it even work?"

"You bein' picky o' some shit? I know it's ol' jackass. Sorry we can't afford them big ass, ugly ass, expensive ass muthafuckas you use to, supastar. Wha's the diffe'nce any way?"

"Chill, Ray. Just asked you does it work,"

"Yeah it work... I mean... it did yestaday..."

"Oh for f-" Noland rubbed his face before sighing. "If this thing blows up or some shit like that, I'mma kick your ass,"

"Ha... you can try. A'ight. We gon' load it up on a truck and roll out. It's gon' be 'bout a hour or somethin' like that 'fo' we get there so if you gotta piss or somethin' better do it now, 'cuz we ain't stoppin' when we get on the road,"

Noland got in the cockpit of the MT as Raza got the rest of his crew ready. In total, there were about five trucks. Two of the trucks were filled with Raza's crew, two were filled with whatever it was Raza was moving and the fifth truck was meant for carrying the MT.

Noland piloted the MT and got it onto the back of the truck, deactivating it when it was secured onto the truck. Minutes later, all the trucks left the building as the two trucks filled with people led the way while the truck carrying the MT was at the end of the line. Raza was riding shotgun in the truck carrying the MT.

"You hear me?" Raza's voice asked. A small two way radio had been built into the cockpit of the MT.

"You didn't think to test this before we got on the road...?" Noland asked.

"Yeah you hear me," Raza said.

"I can't scratch my ass..." Noland said, moving around in the MT's small cockpit, trying to scratch his itch.

"Too bad. Betta take yo ass ta sleep o' somethin'," Raza joked.

The trucks crossed over into Massachussets, staying on older, less used roads and every now and then going off road. Noland knew they had crossed into Massachussets when he saw an old "Welcome to Connecticut" sign fade into the distance. The convoy had several close encounters with security patrols along the way. Each time the convoy avoided detection by going off road and waiting, sometimes driving pass, for the patrols to leave.

After about an hour's journey, the convoy slowed to a stop and Noland could hear the patter of feet touch the ground as Raza's crew got out of the trucks. Raza got out of the truck and, along with another of his men, they released the bindings on the MT. Then Noland got out of the MT, stretched and scratched his butt while Raza laughed.

Noland looked around to see where they were. In the distance, he could see the glowing lights of Boston and opposite of that, where the convoy had stopped, was an old building of some sort. At first glance the building appeared to be empty but on closer inspection he could see several faint lights moving around the building. Seeing the empty building, the lights, and listening to the silence gave Noland an uneasy feeling. Raza noticed Noland's uneasiness and put his arm around Noland's neck.

"You ain't gettin' no cold feet is ya?" Raza taunted, "Nah... you? Nononoland?"

"Somethin' ain't right here..." Noland said, removing his friend's arm.

"You trippin' is all. Come o'. We gon' go in but you stay back. If shit go south, I want ya to slip out and bring in the MT," Raza said.

"If it goes south? How will I know if it goes south?" Noland asked.

"If I shoot the fucker we meetin' here, you'll know it's goin' south..."

"Not the deal, Raza...!"

"Chill bitch... I said if! It's gon' be a'ight tho'. Ain't nobody gon' get popped," Raza said, going towards the building.

Noland, his uneasy feeling still present, followed after Raza as Raza's crew continued unloading their cargo from the trucks. Noland noticed that what they were unloading were large bags and turned his eyes away when he noticed it. He and Raza entered the building where they met a man, not one of Raza's, who guided them through the building.

They passed several empty room as they went deeper into the building, eventually coming to a large metal door and suddenly Noland's uneasiness turned into panic. A loud hum could be heard behind the door, beneath them. He could feel Raza tense up and that's when he knew that something had gone wrong.

"Hey, any bathrooms in here work or do I gotta go outback?" Noland asked the man escorting them. The metal door opened as the freight elevator arrived with another two men, both armed. The man who was guiding Noland and Raza talked with the guards on the elevator, whispering. One of the guards nodded and the man told Noland that none of the bathrooms were working. Noland understood and went back the way they had came.

Outside, Raza's crew had loaded the bags onto carts and were pushing the carts into the building. Noland went to the truck that held the MT and climbed onto the back of the truck. As Noland prepared to get into the MT one of Raza's enforcers spotted him and grabbed him.

"What the hell you doin'?" Raza's enforcer asked.

"We're moving whatever you're carrying underground and Raza didn't seem to like that," Noland told the enforcer, pulling himself free and opening the MT's cockpit.

"What Raza say?" the enfrocer asked.

"Nothing... Not one word from his big mouth..." Noland said. The enforcer looked worried and ran off with some of the others, leaving Noland alone. "Knew I shouldn't've trusted that idiot..."

"Stop... Hands up..." said a familiar voice as a chill went down Noland's spine. The barrel of a gun was pressed against his neck so Noland raised his hand as commanded. "Hands up," the voice ordered again.

"I only got one...!" Noland said.

"Noland...?" Vai said, surprised. She lowered her gun and backed away from him. "What...? What're you doing here?"

"Vai? What am I doing here? What are you doing here? Why do you have a gun?" Noland asked. Their voices were hushed yells.

"Why're you here? Why're you getting in an illegal MT?"

"You didn't answer my question!"

"I'm the one with the gun! You answer my question!"

"I have a big ass robot!"

"You're not in that big ass robot!"

"Yeah well... your gun is empty," Noland said but Vai looked unimpressed. "Had to try..." Noland shrugged.

Vai lowered her gun and Noland lowered his hand then he turned to face Vai who was dressed in all black with a hood along with a mask covering her face. She removed both so that Noland could see her face.

"What're you doing here?" she asked again.

"I'm here with Raza-"

"Raza...? The guy from the old gang you were in? Why?"

"Long story. I'm just here to pilot the MT,"

"One with a big gun attached to it? You could get kicked out of the ACFL if you get caught piloting this thing...!"

"And? I already quit the team-"

What do you mean you quit the team?"

"You're not the only one who can quit, Vai..." Noland said. Two of Raza's men came by at that moment so Vai jumped down to the opposite side of the truck and Noland jumped down to join her. "What are you doing here?"

"You know I have a better reason than you for being here..." Vai answered.

"I'm listening..." Noland mocked.

"My drugged up mother overdosed on Reave..." Vai explained.

"What? When? I thought you were looking for her?"

"I was. I found her when she came to my doorstep half dead..."

"Is she okay...?"

"Yeah... still makin' promises she can't keep... Anyway, I'm pretty sure I know where she got the Reave from..."

"Raza...? Are you sure?"

"Raza? No, not him. He's just a mule. My grandmother's the one supplying and distributing..."

"Wai-wait-wait... You're working for your grandmother now? I thought-"

"No, dumb ass. I'm here to fuck up her day..." Vai said. She saw Raza's men leave and snuck back towards the building. Noland followed her, panicking inside. When Vai had stopped and he was next to her, Noland grabbed her arm.

"You can't bust up a drug deal by yourself, Vai. Are you nuts?" Noland whispered.

"Then help me. Go get the MT..." Vai said, about to move again but Noland pulled her back.

"No! Raza's a criminal but the idiot's still my friend and I still need the credits," Noland told her. She pulled herself free from Noland's grasp and smirked.

"Well, if you two weren't best friends before, you will be now..." Vai said.

"What...?" Noland asked, baffled.

"Just go get the MT...!"

"So that's how it is... ol' lyin' snake ass bitch ass muthafuckas..." Raza said.

Raza and his crew had walked into a trap. After they had brought all of their cargo to the underground loading bay, they were rounded up and now stood surrounded by dozens of armed men. Raza's crew had their guns out as well, ready to shoot but anyone could see the fear in their eyes. Raza's men were trembling, sweating, crying and some were doing a combination of all three. The men that surrounded them did none of that. They were hardened fighters, each ready to die and each ready to kill when given the order.

"This how dat ol' Stark bitch do business...?" Raza asked.

"Styrke..." a man said from behind his men, "It's Styrke not Stark."

"I'oun give a fuck what it is. You snakes out here doin' dirty shit like this..." Raza said, gesturing to the situation, "That's bad business... but it's coo' 'cuz I'mma make sure I take yo' bitch ass wit' me."

"Sure you will... Where is the one armed man?" the man asked. It was clear he was the leader.

"What one armed man...?" Raza asked, playing dumb and causing the leader of the Styrke crew laughed.

"If you want to play dumb that's fine. Find him and kill him," the leader said. Another man came up to him and whispered something into the his ear. "It seems you've brought all we asked for. Thank you Mr. Wilson. Kill th-"

The building shook slightly and the sound of bending metal reverberated throughout the loading bay. Everyone looked up as dust and small pieces of the ceiling fell from the ceiling. Moments later, a thunderous metallic scrapping sound echoed through the loading bay followed by what sounded like an explosion which was immediately followed by the boom of a crash.

Some of the people in the room were knocked off their feet. The Styrke men turned towards the cargo elevator behind them, where the boom had come from. Noland fired the MT's rifle through the smoke the elevator crash had kicked up and Raza took the moment to pull out his own gun, shooting at several of the rival crew's men.

All hell broke loose as the Styrke men began engaging Raza's crew and Noland in his MT. Noland drove the MT out of the elevator, shooting and taking cover behind some of the larger metal containers. Noland moved swiftly, searching for Raza while doing his best to keep the MT from taking too much damage and firing back at the Styrke crew.

"Back to the elevator!" Raza ordered, pointing towards the remaining cargo elevator. He and his men slowly made their way there while returning fire at their enemies. Noland saw them and quickly moved the MT in front of Raza just as a volley of bullets that were meant for Raza hit the MT's makeshift shield. Noland lowered the MT's chassis then opened the cockpit being sure that he and Raza would be behind the MT's shield.

"The fuck you been?" Raza asked hysterically.

"We gotta go...! This place is gonna blow!" Noland shouted over the gunfire.

"What?" Raza asked.

"Don't get on the elevator...!" Noland shouted. He closed the cockpit of the MT and refocused on firing at his attackers. Noland headed off towards a large metal door and put the MT's back to it, firing at the enemies attacking Raza. Raza saw Noland and the wheels of cars hidden under tarps.

"Fuck the elevator!" Raza yelled, "Go to Noland!"

Raza and his crew fought their way over towards Noland as Noland covered them. Some of their attackers were boarding the cargo elevator while Raza's men got into the cars. Raza looked around and saw no way out so he went over to the MT, yelling at Noland. "Why the fuck you tell us to come ova' here? We got cars but it ain't nowhere to drive'em ya dum' muthafucka!" Raza yelled.

"Press the fucking button dumbass!" Noland said after briefly opening his cockpit. Raza looked around and saw a control panel he had not noticed at first. He quickly ran over to it and pressed several of the buttons until the large metal door Noland was guarding began to open. A large explosion echoed from above followed by the flaming crash of the cargo elevator that had tried to escape.

"Time to go...!" Noland said to himself as he grabbed Raza with the MT's clamp and fled into the tunnel. Raza's men that had survived had jumped into the cars and were following behind Noland. Then more explosions could be heard behind Noland, Raza and his remaining crew.

Less than a minute later, the MT and the cars emerged from the tunnel. They skid to a stop on the road, taking a moment to collect themselves after what had just happened. On a hill in the distance, the flaming wreckage of the building they had just escaped illuminated the night sky. Several choppers could be heard and seen approaching the building.

"Man that's Cortex! We gotta go!" Raza yelled, banging on the MT's arm. Noland heard and they left the area. As they escaped, Noland spotted Vai on the side of the road, her thumb out, and stopped. "We ain't got time fo' no hoes man..."

"Call me a hoe again and the next thing I blow up's gonna be you..." Vai said, climbing onto the MT.


	43. Chapter 13-1

**Act II**

 **Chapter 13-1**

 **?**

Week 10 - Day 2

Noland mumbled and groaned as he woke, disturbed by a loud knocking sound coming from his front door. He got himself out of bed and put on a pair of jeans he had left out. His apartment was a mess mostly because he hadn't left it in two days and he didn't straighten the place up. Raza, Vai and himself had been laying low since the incident a few days prior.

Noland went to the door, about to open it until he remembered it might be someone who wanted to kill him. He looked through the door monitor to see who it was and was surprised to see it was Lewis. He opened the door and met with his former coach, face to face.

"I came here to see ya... but it looks like ya already got company..." Lewis said, his voice angry. Noland didn't understand what Lewis meant at first then three armed men moved Lewis aside.

"Noland North? You are suspected of being involved with the destruction of private property. Would you come with us please?" one of the armed men said. The man showed Noland his identification and when Noland saw that the man was from a security contracting company, Cortex, he sighed.

"Can I get dressed?" Noland asked.

Minutes later, Noland was escorted to a detainment truck. They opened the door to put him in the back and Noland was surprised to see that Vai was already inside. Noland got inside and took a seat across from Vai. Once he was secured inside, the guards closed the doors to the truck, one of them staying in the back, and went to the front of the vehicle.

"That was fast..." Vai said sarcastically.

"Not funny..." Noland said.

Lewis sat in the room with his two former pilots and looked at them disapprovingly. Vai was more angry than anything while Noland sat quietly, waiting to hear what Lewis would say. They had been taken to one of several Cortex precincts back in Boston and given the charges they were accused with, as well as shown the evidence against them. The building they had destroyed two days prior had several security cameras inside and around the building. Cortex had footage of both Vai and Noland at the building the night it was destroyed.

"That buildin' was scheduled for repurposing by-"

"Don't care..." Vai said, interrupting Lewis.

"I know ya don't... which is why I'm not here for ya," Lewis said angrily. He turned to face Noland and glared at the one armed man. "What the hell were ya thinkin'...?"

"If you came here just to lecture me, save it..." Noland said.

"This how ya gonna help ya mother? Gettin' killed or thrown in a cell?" Lewis asked.

"Where's my mom now?" Noland asked.

"Like you care..." Lewis mocked.

"I do... "

"For all o' the trouble ya in... where's the payoff? How much did ya make?" Lewis asked. Noland didn't answer. "Exactly... and remind me, how'd ya intend to help ya mother from a prison cell?"

"It was suppose to be a clean job-"

"No excuses!" Lewis yelled, "None! Oh it was supposed to be a clean job? It was supposed to be like this. It was suppose to be like that. Save it for someone that cares..."

"So we're goin' to prison?" Vai asked. Noland was looking down at the table in shame and Lewis was shaking his head in disappointment.

"Alessia's spent all day tryin' to pull stings. She managed to work out a deal with Panther though..." Lewis said.

"Panther?" Vai asked.

"Panther Rocket Manufacturin' an'- something- the guys whose buildin' ya blew up. Whose rockets an' rocket fuel ya used to blow the buildin' up..." Lewis said.

"What kind've deal...?" Noland asked.

"One that Dr. Vinheim suggested... They drop the charges but you work for them..." Lewis said.

"To pay back my debt...? No thanks. If I work it needs to be for credits-"

"Ya don't have a say in this. Alessia took the deal. Any revenue we pull in, includin' from sponsorships, get divided up to cover your debt..." Lewis said.

"I never ask-" Noland was about to say but when he saw Lewis practically turn red he cut his sentence short.

"Cael's suppose to be the hard headed one... Anyway... after they clear the paper work, you're free to go," Lewis said to Noland. Noland looked at Lewis and then to Vai, waiting for Lewis to tell Vai the same. He didn't.

"What...?" Noland asked, confused.

"The deal's not for Vai. Not unless she rejoins the team. Otherwise, she'll just have to figure somethin' out on her own..." Lewis explained.

"Using this to try to get me back on the team?" Vai asked, rhetorically, "Not happening..."

"I know... ya can't say I didn't give ya the opportunity though..." Lewis said. "I'll be back to take ya home when they release ya,"

With that, Lewis left the room while Vai and Noland were taken back to their holding cells where they waited. Eventually Noland was cleared to go and Lewis drove them back to Circle City. They didn't speak the whole trip.

Vai on the otherhand was kept in her holding cell for the rest of the night. She overheard two of the guards talking about what would happen to her. The consensus seemed to be she'd be tried in Boston, found guilty and be kept in one of Cortex's prisons somewhere in the city. Vai tried to sleep on the uncomfortable bench in her holding cell but the bench was hard so she couldn't sleep due to the discomfort.

Hours passed as she waited in the cell, restless and unable to sleep. From her cell she saw guards escorting other detainees to their cells. She saw dozens of people come through the hall and was surprised to see that two guards had stopped in front of her cell. They opened the door and threw her a pair of arm restraints, which she put on, then escorted her to an interrogation room where a familiar face greeted her inside. She locked eyes with her grandmother's old, cold eyes.

"Sit down...!" her grandmother ordered. Vai scoffed and stood at the door, smirking defiantly. The door behind her burst opened and two of the guards grabbed Vai then forced her down into the chair at the table, opposite her grandmother. They secured her hands to the table and left shortly after. "The difference between you and a dog... a dog knows how to follow simple commands..."

"The difference between you and a dog... you take too long to die of old age..." Vai sneered.

"Keep this up and a dog'll live longer than you..." her grandmother said.

"You here to kill me...? Bet your pets won't mind..."

"I'm tempted to... I really am, you bastard child..."

"So you're not killing? Well stop wasting my time..." Vai said trying to dettach her restraints from the table.

"Wasting your time? You're in jail. If anyone's time's being wasted, it's mine... So here's what's going to happen. You're going to sit there and be quiet like a good bitch while I explain to you what's going to happen next..."

"Sit here and listen to you? Oh god, please just torture me..." Vai mocked. Her grandmother scoffed.

"The man you killed was one of my associates... The reason you're not dead is because I planned on killing him long before you did... You think you're getting back at me? You helped me, idiot child..." her grandmother said. Vai's exagerated expression quickly turned to one of disdain and her grandmother laughed. "You wanna get into the ring with the grown-ups at least do your homework, child..."

"Take these restraints off and see what I do to you..." Vai threatened. Her grandmother smirked and gestured for the guards to come in. They took off Vai's restraints and stepped back. It took Vai a moment to understand what had just happened but when she realized she was free she jumped out of the chair, attempting to grab her grandmother by the throat. Her reach was met with a gun pointed at her face and the guards behind her pulling out their guns as well. She turned her head to see the guards and see that their guns were trained on her.

"Go ahead... show me what you'll do to me. The restraints are off..." Vai's grandmother taunted. Vai reluctantly sat back in her chair, her anger boiling over. Her grandmother snickered. "All bark, no bite. Spineless shit, just like your whore mother..."

"Hope you die in your sleep because I won't make it pleasant..." Vai threatened. Her grandmother and the guards put their guns away, then the guards left the room, leaving Vai's restraints off.

"I pulled some strings to get you and that boy out..." Vai's grandmother said, her words surprising Vai, "You'll be freed. Your debt won't really matter because Panther Rockets will soon be bought out..."

"Lucky me... Why're you helping me?" Vai asked.

"Helping you? You have a distorted sense of importance... No, Panther Rockets being bought out is something I've known about for months," her grandmother explained, "Gaining a couple of reasons to put a bitch on a leash is just an unexpected bonus but you can look at it as me giving you a chance. Like your whore mother-"

"Stop calling her a whore-"

"She is a whore. And I'll call her whatever I want. As I was saying... Like your whore mother, when something happens to you, you make decisions like a child. Your work at the Panther facility showed me you have potential to be of some use, unlike your whore mother. Your problem seems to be that you can't channel it correctly... So I'm giving you a chance... You will work for me. You will make yourself useful. And maybe, I won't decide to kill you..."

"Or you could just kill me because I sure as hell ain't working for you,"

"Or I could make a call... and have that whore you love killed, then bury you alive with her corpse..."

Vai's grandmother pulled a tablet out from under the table that she was keeping in her lap. She slid it across the table to Vai so that Vai could see it. On the tablet, Vai saw several photos of men and women being buried alive by what Vai guessed were her grandmother's men. When Vai slided over, pass the last photo, she saw a video recording begin to play. It took her a minute to realize the video was not a recording but a live feed and it was of her mother in the hospital back in Circle City. Vai gasped when she realized it and looked back to her grandmother's expressionless face.

"I honestly don't care which one you pick. The only reason you're getting to make this choice is because your father is my son..." Vai's grandmother said., "Now choose..."


	44. Chapter 13-2

**Act II**

 **Chapter 13-2**

 **?**

Week 10 - Day 3

Anna sat in her bed, waiting for Noland to answer. Lewis stood in the doorway of the bedroom, listening in on the scolding while Noland sat in a chair from the kitchen. Noland had no answer and Anna sighed. She pulled her son's head to her breast and hugged him tight. "Stop acting stupid..." she told him. "I'll be fine,"

"I know..." Noland said, starting to cry. Lewis left the room, giving the two a moment of privacy. He went into the kitchen where Alessia was and caught her taking his beer out of the refridgerator.

"What're ya doin'...?" Lewis asked in horror.

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm throwing out your booze," Alessia said playfully. She took the beers and put them in the trash bin, closing the lid on it.

"Can't I get a break?" Lewis asked.

"No. It's bad for you and you need to quit," Alessia said. "Cael..."

Cael got up from the couch and went into the kitchen where Alessia and Lewis were. She pointed to the trash bin and Cael sighed, taking the trash bag out of the bin. He took the bag outside and placed it in the dumpster for the trash collecting service to collect.

"You got everythin'?" Lewis asked Alessia as she checked her bags.

"Yeah, pretty much. It's funny when you think about it. Cael came to live with us and I put him on the couch. I go to live with Cael and I put him on the couch again," Alessia joked.

"Sorry, Cael..." Lewis apologized to Cael as he walked back in. "Didn't mean to put you out of your own bed,"

"I don't care..." Cael replied, sitting back on the couch.

"Don't you get any funny ideas with Nol's mom!" Alessia mocked.

"She's a lovely lady. Can't make ya any promises!" Lewis joked.

When Noland entered the scene, he was wiping his tears away. He waited for his teammates to say something but nothing was said. It was Lewis who broke the tension. "We've got two weeks to get ready now... We all agree that we've wasted enough time?" he asked.

The three pilots nodded in agreement. A knock on the door leading to the garage interupted the silence. Noland opened the door and Alexander ran in, panting.

"Yeah, they know we're here," he said. Alessia and Lewis looked out the windows and saw a large group of reporters, camera men and photographers spread out on the front yard, waiting for the members of Black Raven to exit.

"Ya've certainly got us further in the public eye..." Lewis said to Noland, "Alright Alex, ya know what to do?"

"I thought you were jokin'..." Alexander said, surprised.

"I was hopin' we'd 've time before they got here but..." Lewis said. Alexander went back into the garage and Cael got up to help Alessia with her bags. They all went into the garage where Lewis and Alessia's cars were. Alessia got into her car with Cael and Noland while Alexander got into Lewis' car.

Lewis gave them a thumbs up as he went back into the house and then to the front door where he took a deep breathe before opening it. The crowd that had gathered on the front yard rushed to the foot of the porch stairs. Lewis, wearily walked onto the porch and down the stairs as he was bombarded by the crowd's curiosity.

"Is it true that Noland is responsible for blowing up the Panther facility?" a reporter asked.

"Get lost," Lewis said.

"Pilots are calling for him to be benched. What are your thoughts on that?" another reporter asked.

"They're thoughts-get that mic out o' my face," Lewis said, pushing the reporter away.

"What does this mean for the future of Black Raven?" yet another reporter asked.

"Somethin'," Lewis said. He had walked through the crowd and when he sure he was surrounded, he called Alexander from his phone. At that moment, the garage door opened and a thick smoke errupted from the garage. The crowd, startled, began to move away from the smoke as two cars sped out then Lewis ran back into the house and closed the door, sighing as he leaned against it. "You guys get out?" he asked.

"Yeah," Alexander replied, over the phone.

"Don't scratch my car, Alex..." Lewis warned.

"I'd never hurt a classic," Alexander joked.

Lewis ended the call and went to see Anna who was watching the news on the small TV Lewis had put in the room for her. The news was on and Lewis didn't notice it at first but his house was being viewed from a chopper in the distance. "Really...?" he asked, rhetorically.

"I'm guessing everyone got out okay?" Anna laughed.

"Except me, and Alessia threw out my beer," Lewis joked, sitting down in the chair next to the bed.

"You still have me," Anna joked.

"Not that ya ain't a lovely lady an' all but I'd prefer the alcohol right now,"

"You and me both...!"

The next day, the team met back at the Black Raven hangar. Many of the former Line workers had quit the team to search for more immediately paying jobs and the few crew members that were left had all gathered in the hangar. Lewis, Alessia, and Cael were the last to arrive at the hangar. They had to sneak into the hangar through the side entrance due to the growing crowd of reporters and journalists massing around the hangar.

"We're all here?" Alessia asked, looking around the hangar.

"We lost a lot of the crew," Alexander pointed out.

"We got two weeks an' we haven't done any prep..." Lewis said.

"We'll just have to make due with who's left. I'll start going over team Amazon's data. You guys should go to the arena and train," Alessia said.

"Just me and Cael?" Noland asked.

"You two'll have to do the heavy lifting in the match anyway. All I have time to do is come up with a plan for fighting them. On top of that we need to start planning for the Dread Scythe match as well..." Alessia explained.

"Dread Scythe? Why'd we need to plan for them now?" Noland asked.

"Because we fight them in the second round, if we get pass Amazon," Alexander answered.

"Ya'd know that if ya hadn't run off..." Lewis scolded.

"Drop it!" Alessia ordered, seeing that Noland took offense, "Save it for later... Much later..."

"Are the ACs okay to fight?" Cael asked Alexander.

"They're all fixed up. We shouldn't need to touch them that much," Alexander reported.

"Okay... Everyone has the next couple of weeks off except for Lewis, the pilots and Alex. No work 'til the Monday, the first week of the tournament," Alessia said. Some of the crew members cheered as they dispersed.

"I don't get time off?" Alexander asked.

"Nope. I need an extra pair of eyes here to help me go over Amazon's data," Alessia told him to which he groaned.

The core members of Black Raven split up with Lewis, Cael and Noland heading to the simulator at the arena while Alessia went over team Amazon's past match data with Alexander's help. At the arena, Cael and Noland, under Lewis' coaching, worked on refining their teamwork. They focused on Noland's drastically changed moving pattern which was a result of losing his arm. Many of their combined movement and attack patterns were no longer effective while some were only slightly thrown off. There were only a handful of patterns they didn't have to relearn or readjust. Lewis picked apart his pilots's every move, pointing out every mistake and scolding them for every deviation from the pattern they were currently practising. Everyday the three went to the arena simulator and everyday they trained for two to three hours straight.

Alessia and Alexander studied and examined every one of team Amazon's fights. Team Amazon was originally a MT league team from Europe. The team's captain was Valorie Ross, one of the best female pilots in the league. She specialized in medium bipedals and long range combat. Alessia studied Valorie's habits in matches, taking notes on her more notable victories.

Regina Truman was another pilot of Amazon. She specialized in medium range combat and utilized low ammunition, heavy hitting weapons. Like Valorie, she too piloted a medium bipedal.

Rue Hunt was the final pilot of team Amazon. She was new to the ACFL and the newest member of team Amazon, replacing their retired member. Like her comrades, she specialized in medium bipedals. She was a close range mobile fighter, like Cael, although she used drastically different tactics that revolved around cooperating with her teammates and acting as bait to lure opponents into vulnerable positions.

"These guy's're no joke..." Alexander said as he watched one of Amazon's matches.

"This... is not good..." Alessia said. "Man-to-man offense won't work on them. They completely ignore it..."

"I heard european's fought different than us but this...? I can see why they'd come here..."

"It's a layered offense simultaneously acting as defense... Focus on Rue, Valorie and Regina get you. Go after Regina, you get caught between Rue and Valorie. Attack Valorie, and she just toys with you until Rue and Regina get you... Try a man-to-man offense, they ignore it pick us off..."

"So is this hopeless or...?"

"Well, perhaps I can help?" a familiar voice said.


	45. Chapter 13-3

**Act II**

 **Chapter 13-3**

 **?**

Week 12 - Day 2

Preliminaries Round One

Black Raven vs Amazon

Lewis stood in the operation room along with Alexander, viewing the match. Unlike in the qualifying rounds, team coaches are permitted to coach their pilots during the tournament matches. The catch is that their view is limited to their teams's ACs's onboard cameras. Two ACFL officials acting as referees, one in each team's operation room, made sure no rules or regulations were being broken by the coaches.

"Is the truck ready?" Lewis asked.

"As soon as we need to bring it in..." Alexander said.

"Alright... You guys know the plan?" Lewis asked through the microphone.

"It's a horrible plan..." Cael said flatly.

"We don't have a choice. We have to win the match and minimize damage to the ACs," Alessia told him.

"Come on Cael," Noland taunted Cael, "have some faith in the plan...!"

"Coming from you? That's rich..." Cael said.

"Cut the chatter," Lewis ordered, "Execute the plan. That's it,"

"And if it doesn't work...?" Cael asked.

"It'll work, Cael..." Alessia said reassuringly.

"If you say so..."

The gates opened and the ACs of both teams came forth. The city battlefield had been rebuilt during the four week break and it looked brand new from a distance however there were signs of damage from the battle that had occured in the match before Black Raven's. The dome above displayed a blue sky along with a bright sun, and the taller metallic buildings in the center of the city seemed as if they were shining.

Noland and Cael took up position in front of Alessia as they advanced. The team moved slowly in formation, heading towards the floodway. They managed to get there uninterrupted and once they had descended into the floodway they changed formations to a straight line formation. The Black Wolf took up position out front, followed by the White Wolf, and finally the Blackbird.

The pilots made sure to keep an eye on the clock because the matches were now thirty minutes long and, although the scoring system could still determine the winner, it was much more likely that the match would end when the opposing team's ACs were disabled. Five minutes passed and the teams had not yet crossed paths. Black Raven stuck to the floodway, moving along the bottom, with the pilots staying vigilant and being wary of their surroundings.

"Something doesn't feel right," Cael thought out loud as his eyes dotted around his screens, examining his surroundings and his fingers twitched, tapping the control sticks.

"Stick to the plan, Cael," Lewis ordered.

"I am, but-" Cael mumbled.

Just then, one of the Amazon ACs appeared before the team further along the floodway. It was the bipedal AC, Huntress, piloted by Rue Hunt that now stood in their sights. The Black Raven pilots saw their foe and tensed up as they slowed their approach, startled by the sudden appearnce of one of their opponents. There were twenty three minutes on the clock and counting down.

Cael gripped the control sticks to the White Wolf tight. His opponent was in front of them and they hadn't attacked yet. They continued their slow approach while the Huntress stood still as if waiting for them with twenty two minutes on left the clock and counting down.

"She's not coming closer..." Noland noticed as he slowed the Black Wolf to a stop and the others did the same with their ACs.

"Stick to the plan. We focus on the Huntress and keep her and the fight in the floodway. As long as we're here, the Valkyrie can't fire it's sniper rifle at us. The bridge'll keep her from shooting from the buildings and ridge," Alessia said. "And she never comes down here because it's too open. An opponent could easily charge towards her-"

"The plan won't work..." Cael said. He quickly drove the White Wolf out of the line formation with it's shields facing forward.

"Cael!" Noland called out just as Cael broke formation and just as the White Wolf was hit with a shot that knocked the AC on it's back.

"She... came down into the floodway...!" Alessia exclaimed, shocked by the revelation.

"We won't be able to get to her with the Huntress in the way... We gottta get out of here!" Noland said.

The Huntress moved out of the Valkyrie's sights as it charged towards the Black Raven ACs. Cael used the cockpit wheels to drive the White Wolf forward while Noland drove the Black Wolf forward, keeping pace with the White Wolf and keeping the Black Wolf's shield up. Alessia went backwards, searching for way to get out of the flood canal and when she found a ramp she was startled to see that the Cavalry blocked her escape.

Cael hit the brakes and reversed the leg wheels, bouncing the White Wolf back upright. Noland moved the Black Wolf in front of the White Wolf, shield up, to protect Cael from the next sniper round that came towards them. The shot pushed the Black Wolf back and would have knocked it down had Cael not braced his teammate.

The Huntress was upon them, firing it's rifle ot the two Black Raven AC's flanks. Cael and Noland took evasive maneuvers to avoid the Huntress' attacks but when they focused on dodging the Huntress the Valkyrie's shots hit, stunning the ACs, causing them to fall onto their knees in some cases. "High impact rounds...!" Noland shouted.

Alessia did her best to dodge the Calvalry's attacks, zig-zagging as she backpedaled. The Calvary was equipped with an arm mounted, high impact cannon, a back mounted, high impact cannon and a pile bunker. Regina closed in on Alessia, dodging all of the Blackbird's rifle attacks while landing several of her own counterattacks, although they only collided with the Blackbird's shield.

Alessia began to panic as she noticed the ever increasing distance between her and her comrades. The high impact rounds from the Calvary, hit Alessia's shield repeatedly, damaging the shield and damaging the Blackbird's left shoulder joint. The Blackbird's shield arm fell to it's side, leaving Alessia open.

Regina took advantage of the opportunity, increasing the pace of her attacks. The Blackbird took two hits to the Core, staggering the AC. Luckily for Alessia, she had arrived at an exit that lead out of the flood canal. She drifted the Blackbird backwards onto the ramp and up out of the floodway, stopping in the middle of the ramp and readying the Blackbird's rifle. Alessia breathed quickly and deeply because she had been hyperventilating during the tense encounter. She waited for the Calvary to come onto the ramp after her but it never did.

"Y'all need to regroup!" Lewis said to the pilots.

Cael and Noland had made it out of the floodway and into the city, their ACs badly damaged by their opponents's ambush. They moved quickly through the city, heading towards the Blackbird's marker on their maps. Alessia, snapping out of her intense focus, left the ramp and headed towards her teammates in the city. She blew a hole in a building and entered it, deploying the Sky-Eye when she was inside.

"I'm launching the Sky-Eye now," Alessia informed her teammates as she switched over to the Sky-Eye's control stick and piloted it out of the building she had the Blackbird hiding in.

"Looks like Cael was right to be worried..." Noland said. He and Cael had also taken cover inside a couple of buildings.

Cael scoffed as he checked the damage the White Wolf had taken and saw that one of the it's machineguns had gotten damaged so he jettisoned the weapon. The White Wolf's right knee joint had been damaged during the ambush in the flood canal and the integrity of both shields had been compromised though they were still capable of providing defense. When he was done checking the White Wolf, he gripped the White Wolf's controls tight and drove the AC from it hiding position.

"Cael, where're you going?" Noland shouted.

"The hell're ya doin'?" Lewis asked, seeing Cael's position on the operation room map changing, getting further away from his teammates.

"We're so close to... but we're not going to win... not like this... So I'll do it myself..." Cael said.

"Listen to ya'self, Cael! Ya can't take'em alone! Regroup with the others!" Lewis shouted.

Cael ignored Lewis' orders and continued speeding through the city streets looking for the Amazon ACs. He had the White Wolf draw it's shotgun in it's now empty hand. He could see down the street he was on and far along it was one of the Amazon ACs, just entering onto the road. He changed over onto another street, still heading in the same direction as the Amazon AC he saw. The AC he had seen was the Huntress and it was now keeping pace with the White Wolf after Rue had seen Cael. Neither of them fired at one another due to two blocks being between them but the tension was building with both pilots knowing that closing the distance could leave them open for an attack.

"That idiot...! Nol, go after him, back him up!" Lewis shouted.

"I'm on my way to him too!" Alessia said. She set the Sky-Eye to auto pilot then drove the Blackbird out of the building it was hiding in, headed towards Cael's location.

"Nol, did ya hear me? Go after Cael!" Lewis ordered after seeing that the Black Wolf hadn't moved. Noland sat in the cockpit of the Black Wolf, looking at his hand and arm. He moved it around, flexing his arm, hand and fingers. Lewis' voice was in the background, shouting at him but he ignored it.

"No..." Noland said.

"No? What're ya talkin' about? I wa'n't askin' ya! Ya teammates's in trouble! Go help him!" Lewis shouted.

"No..." Noland said.

Cael and Rue hadn't began their attack yet although they kept one another in their sights as they continued mirroring each other while they drove through the streets of the city. Cael took a quick glance at the clock and saw that there were only seventeen minutes remaining and the second his eyes returned to the Huntress, it slowed, lagging behind. Cael quickly slowed and turned the White Wolf, keeping it's front facing the Huntress. The Huntress crossed over onto the street the White Wolf was on and Cael fired the White Wolf's machinegun at it as it did.

The Huntress dodged the White Wolf's attacks and returned fire with it's rifle. Cael turned the White Wolf's shields forward and blocked the Huntress' attacks. As they exchanged fire, Cael was caught off guard by the Calvary, now in close to his right. Cael tried moving the right side shield to it's outward facing position but he was too late. The Calvary fired it's arm mounted cannon at the White Wolf at point blank, the attack destroying the White Wolf's shield and knocking the White Wolf back.

The White Wolf crashed into a building, rolling across it's floor and Cael changed his remaining shield's position, the change causing the White Wolf to end it's roll on it's back cockpit mounted wheels. The Calvary charged into the building after him but when it entered Cael drove the White Wolf out. Upon getting back out onto the street the White Wolf, still on it's back, was met with fire from the Huntress' rifle. Cael tried blocking it's attacks with the White Wolf's remaining shield but he was unsuccessful.

The Huntress' attacks put holes in the White Wolf's shield and blew out one of it's cockpit mounted wheels. Cael quickly dropped the White Wolf's guns and used it's arms to lift it off the street as it skid across the road. When the White Wolf was back on it's feet, Cael turned the White Wolf to face the Huntress and backed away, turning a corner as he did. Once a building was between him and his opponents, he jettisoned his heavily damaged shield as he continued driving backwards down the road. Rue and Regina didn't waste any time. They followed Cael around the corner and Rue fired the Huntress' weapons as she advancd.

"Noland, where're you going?" Alessia asked as Noland took off just as she'd arrived at his location.

Noland ignored his teammate and sped through the city, keeping his eyes on the map. When he reached a location he had marked on his map he quickly stopped and attached mines to the buildings. When the mines were planted he sped off again heading to another of the several locations he had marked on his map, planting mines at those locations as well.

"What should I do?" Alessia asked. Lewis sighed.

"Help Cael as best ya can. Alex an' I'll bring out the truck. Try to get him there," Lewis said before leaving the operation room with Alex.

Alessia switched over to the Sky-Eye's controls and used the drone to locate the White Wolf. When she found it, she saw that Cael was attempting to take on both the Huntress and the Calvary. She switched the Sky-Eye back to auto pilot and began driving the Blackbird towards Cael's location, keeping her eye on his battle.

The White Wolf dodged several of the Huntress' rifle shots, turning a corner just as one of the Calvary's cannon rounds took a chunk out of the building it had turned around. The Huntress pursued, following the Black Wolf around the corner and was met with a shot from the White Wolf's last shotgun. It dodged the attack, returning fire with it's rifle but the White Wolf dodged it's attacks just as it dodged the White Wolf's.

The Huntress moved in closer to the White Wolf and Cael prepared to use the White Wolf's sword to deal a blow. The Calvary burst forth from a building behind Cael and fired the it's back mounted cannon, the shot disabling the White Wolf's left arm that held it's sword. The attack took Cael by surprise so he reacted instinctively, quickly trying to use the White Wolf's shotgun to stop Rue from closing in but she went to his right, lodging her rifle in the White Wolf's shoulder joint then firing it before quickly moving away as the White Wolf's right arm fell to it's side, disabled.

Cael quickly drove the White Wolf forward, trying to turn a corner to break the Amazon ACs's line of sight. As he retreated, the Calvary fired another cannon round. The shot came close to the White Wolf's cockpit but it was blocked by the Sky-Eye just as Cael turned the corner.

"The Sky-Eye's down! Cael did you get hit?" Alessia shouted. She was driving the Blackbird throught the streets at full speed.

"I'm fine..." Cael told her. The White Wolf moved swiftly through the streets, heavily damaged. Cael increased the White Wolf's speed by jettisoning the now damaged and disabled arms of the AC.

"Alex and Lewis're bringing the truck to our gate. We need to get you there." Alessia said.

When the Valkyrie fired it's sniper cannon from the highway it sounded like thunder. The sniper round smashed straight into the White Wolf's right leg, damaging and disabling it. The impact from the shot tore the leg off at the knee where it had already been damaged. Then the White Wolf fell onto it's front and skid across the road causing sparks to fly as it skid, crashing head first into a building. Alessia had come onto the road that intersected the road Cael was on just in time to see the White Wolf crash. She gasped, stunned at the sight and when she snapped out of her shock she drove the Blackbird over to the crash. "Noland?" She called, "Noland? Cael's down! Where are you?"

Noland didn't respond.

The Valkyrie lined up it's next shot, targetting the Blackbird's Core. Valorie moved her sniper cannon's manual targeting reticle ahead of the Blackbird to where she predicted it would be by the time it stopped next to the disabled White Wolf. She was about to fire when-

The Black Wolf fired it's back mounted rifle as it drove along the highway heading straight towards the Valkyrie. His shot damaged the Valkyrie's sniper cannon and caused the cannon to jam up. Noland continued his surprise attack, firing the Black Wolf's machinegun.

The Valkyrie dettached it's sniper cannon and attempted to return fire with a small back mounted vulcan. Valorie's attacks were useless as the Black Wolf's shield deflected her attacks and when she realized the Valkyrie was taking too much damage, she drove her AC through the highway side guards off the highway. The Valkyrie landed, hard, onto the road below then, when her AC recovered from the shock of the impact, Valorie attempted to flee but was startled by the adhesive mines that had detonated in front of her.

The adhesives stopped the Valkyrie's wheels from moving which stopped it from fleeing and Noland drove the Black Wolf off the highway, pursuing the Valkyrie. He landed a short distance behind the Valkyrie, targetting it with the Black Wolf's back mounted rifle as he landed and firing when the shot was lined up. His attack tore a hole into the top of the cockpit, causing the AC to go through a forced shutdown due to it's compromised cockpit. Noland could hear Alessia calling him but he continued to ignore her. He saw where the Blackbird was on his map and drove the Black Wolf, which had been been damged in the fall from the highway, towards it's location.

Alessia narrowly dodged the Cavalry's cannon round and she backed the Blackbird away from the White Wolf's crash, fearing that rubble from the building might fall on top of it's cockpit, trapping Cael. The Calvary rushed the Blackbird firing both it's cannons back to back. Alessia dodged the first round but the second hit the Blackbird in the center of the Core, staggering it. Alessia observed as smoke erupted from both the Calvary's cannons, letting her know that they were empty as Regina jettisoned them.

The Calvary's arm began to transform, it's hand retracting as it switched places with it's elbow. It continued it's charge towards the Blackbird with it's hidden pile bunker ready to pierce the Blackbird the moment it got close. Alessia worked the Blackbird's controls fervently but it was no use. The Blackbird was still staggered and it couldn't respond to Alessia's input.

The Black Wolf arrived down the street from the Blackbird and the Calvary. It fired it's rifle, hitting the Calvary's pile bunker arm and throwing it off balance, saving Alessia. Alessia, thanks to the moment Noland had bought her, regained control of the Blackbird's arm and fired her rifle at the Calvary's Core repeatedly until the AC was disabled. Noland was attacked from behind by the Huntress as it closed in on him. He sighed as his cockpit went black, the Black Wolf shutting down after having it's cockpit compromised.

Alessia, who had been holding her breath without realizing it, exhaled. She slouched in her cockpit chair and removed her helmet, wiping the sweat from her head after. The match had ended.

Noland, in his cockpit, laughed as he heard the sound that signaled the end of the match. He didn't see what had happened but he had a good guess. He tried to open his cockpit manually but it was stuck, which confirmed his guess.

Alessia drove the Blackbird back over to the White Wolf's crash site. She jumped out of her cockpit and went over to the White Wolf as the ACFL crews came in to recover the damaged ACs. The crews did their best to apply a counter-adhesive to the Black Wolf and the Huntress in order to free the pilots from their ACs. Two crews came over to the White Wolf's crash site, one an engineering crew and the other a medical crew. Alessia knocked on the cockpit but there was no response.

"Cael," Alessia called but still no answer came. "Cael? Cael?"

The engineering crew moved her aside and started trying to force the cockpit open. Inside, Cael sat in the White Wolf's cockpit with his hands still on the controls.


	46. Chapter 13-4

**Act II**

 **Chapter 13-4**

 **?**

Week 12 - Day 2

"An excellent match," Valorie said, extending her hand to Alessia. Alessia was surprised but quickly shook Valorie's hand. "You guys seemed to have some trouble with coordinating,"

"Yeah, we... had some communication problems..." Alessia said. Valorie moved her brown hair out of her eyes and smiled.

"Honestly, we weren't expecting you guys to win that one. I wasn't expecting you guys to win... I'm pleasantly surprised... but disappointed..." Valorie said.

"Disappointed...?"

"Your piloting is weak. I know you're busy with managing the team and all the logistics that come with that... but you're just one person. If you're not totally focused on the task then you'll only ever be a hinderance..."

"So what? You think I'm spread too thin?"

"If Black Raven doesn't work out for you, stop by our place in Bridgeport..." Valorie said, taking her leave.

Alessia shook off the encounter and ran to the cafeteria where her team was waiting. She went over to Lewis' side as he stood looking down at his Cael and Noland. Alexander sat a few tables over, observing. The cafeteria was one for teams only and Black Raven was the only team present.

"The ACs 're bein' loaded but the cleanup from the White Wolf's gonna take a while," Lewis said to Alessia, not taking his eyes off of Cael and Noland.

"We won... so why's it feel like we lost...?" Alessia asked.

"That's 'cause we did lose... An' we lost somethin' way more important than a match..." Lewis answered. Cael sat on the other side of the table, facing away from his team while Noland sat opposite of Cael, facing Lewis but his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Dread Scythe's match is tomorrow... I'm sure they're gonna win... That means we'll fight them next week..." Alessia thought aloud.

"We'll need Dr. Vinheim's help fixin' the White Wolf," Alexander said.

"He won't be happy 'bout the White Wolf... On the bright side, we didn't get a chance to use the Blitz Arms. It can be the ace up our sleeve," Lewis said.

The cafeteria got quiet as the cheers of people in and around the arena echoed throughout the massive structure. The cheering of the fans and the loud buzz let the Black Raven members know that the next match was already underway.

"The press'll probably be distracted tryin' to view the match... We should slip out now," Lewis said, heading towards the exit.

The day after the Amazon match, Noland sat in the chair next to his mother's bed. Her condition had gotten worse and she couldn't sit up in bed. He sat there and held her hand, watching her with teary eyes. She was asleep but her hand was cold, her body shivering every few moments. Noland felt his anger boil inside him, causing him pain as it tried to get out. He felt his mother's fingers lightly curl around his causing his anger to subside, being replaced by mixed emotions of happiness, sadness and fear.

"Thank you, Dr. Vinheim," Alessia said.

"Well, the White Wolf is still my creation. No thanks is necessary, Miss Saint-Claire," Dr. Vinheim said.

Dr. Vinheim made his way down from the office to the hangar floor where he joined his engineering crew and Alexander as they began working to repair the White Wolf. When Cael entered the hangar and saw the doctor, he went over to him to figure out why he was at the hangar.

"I thought Omerta was done funding this..." Cael said, more like a question.

"Omerta is. I have clients other than Omerta however," Dr. Vinheim said with a smile. "You did quite a number on the White Wolf this time... And after all the trouble I went to get the Blitz Arms ready for you, I didn't get any data..."

"I'll get you your data before the season's out..." Cael said, "Lewis is thinking of saving the Blitz Arms for the finals so it may not be soon,"

"I see... Well, I suppose that's fine so long as I get it," Dr. Vinheim said. Cael started to say something but he remembered who he'd probably be fighting. He held his tongue.

Up in the office, Lewis was reviewing the Dread Scythe fight that had just concluded along with Alessia. Neither of them spoke as they watched the footage. Dread Scythe's performance was as strong as ever, overpowering, overwhelming, and outmaneuvering their opponents at every turn.

The white and red medium bipedal AC, the Blaze Knight, piloted by Solomon Burnes didn't do much during the fight. It was equipped with a sword, a shield mounted on it's large shoulders, and a built in two barrel machinegun in it's left arm. Though they hadn't seen it, Alessia and Lewis suspected that the Blaze Knight had hidden capabilities due to several structures on the AC that went unused during all of his matches.

Laurence Carim, the pilot of the white and gold heavy reverse joint AC, Fina, did most of the work during the match. Fina came equipped with two curved sickle shaped swords and nothing else however, like the Blaze Knight, it also seemed to have hidden capabilities. Alessia and Lewis took note of the ports on the sides of the cockpit, closer towards the Core, which made the Fina appear as if it were missing equipment.

The final pilot of Dread Scythe was Dusk Lunam, the pilot of the black and purple light weight bipedal AC, the Dark Queen. Dusk was a peculiar member of Dread Scythe. No one really knew what she looked like because she avoided the press and whenever she did appear, she wore her helmet. If it weren't for her pilot suit, no one would even know she was female.

Dusk didn't do much during the fight either. She held back with Solomon as Laurence did most of the work. The Dark Queen was armed with a staff-scythe and a variable shield mounted onto the left elbow joint. The shield had a machinegun in one end and a grappling hook launcher in the other. Unlike the Blaze Knight and Fina, the Dark Queen didn't seem to any hidden capabilities. Despite it's simplicity, the Dark Queen gave Lewis an uneasy feeling though he didn't understand why.

Alessia and Lewis rewatched the recording again, watching as Dread Scythe took on Arena Aces. Laurence charged in, Fina moving quickly despite it's bulk, pushing back one of the Arena Aces ACs, a heavy weight bipedal. When the bipedal proved too heavy to be pushed back, Fina disengaged and jumped over it's opponent then kicked it in the back, sending the heavyweight AC hurddling across the road until it landed facedown. While it was facedown, Fina went up to it and impaled the AC in it's cockpit, narrowly missing the pilot inside.

A short distance away, the Blaze Knight and Dark Queen fought off the other three ACs of Arena Aces, holding them at bay with their ranged weaponry. At first glance, Dread Scythe's shot's didn't seem to be doing anything to keep back the three attacking Arena Aces ACs but taking a closer look revealed that Dread Scythe's attacks were extremely accurate, hitting their opponent's in several of their ACs's vulnerable points, staggering them. The three Arena Aces ACs retreated as Fina entered the skirmish as well, immediately severing the arms from the Arena Aces's bipedal with it's sickle swords and then impaling it, forcing it's shutdown.

The remaining two Arena Aces ACs focused their fired on the Fina but it jumped away, landing on top of a building, out of their line of sight. The Dark Queen took the distracted enemies by surprised, using it's grappling hook to pull one from behind and cut the head off of the bipedal with it's scythe when the bipedal was in range. Dusk finished it off quickly by rotating the Dark Queens hand that held the scythe and slashing into the Core of the bipedal.

The remaining tank AC tried attacking the Dark Queen with it's gatlinguns but the Dark Queen used it's shield in combination with spinning it's scythe to deflect and block most of the incoming bullets. The Fina jumped back down from the rooftop, landing on top of the tank AC and burying it's sickle swords in the the AC, disabling it. The entire match took no longer than five minutes.

"How do we beat this...?" Alessia asked, bewildered once again by an overwhelming show of force by Dread Scythe.

"With a team we jus' don't have right now..." Lewis answered. He turned off the recording and sighed, leaning back in his chair. "My opinion, we should forfeit the match. Avoid damagin' the ACs for nothin',"

"We can't... "Alessia said, dropping her tablet in front of Lewis. Lewis read the what was on it and sighed. "A lot of people want to see this match. At this rate, our match next week's gonna bring in almost as much as a championship fight. We can't just forfeit..."

"A rock an' a hard place..." Lewis sighed.

"A what?"

"Old sayin', nevermin',"

"It's a double elimination tournament this year anyway. Losing this early isn't necessarily the end and if we do well against them, I'm sure we'll get a sponsor or two." Alessia said, trying to be optimistic.

"How was Cael last night?" Lewis asked, changing the subject.

"We didn't talk much... He wasn't really in a talking mood..." Alessia answered.

"Losin' might not be the worst thing that'd happen... Might help him get over his obsession with Solomon..."

"You really think Solomon's the problem?"

"He's never been that simple... but I've never seen him this reckless and impatient... so it's my best guess,"

"Maybe..."

"How 'bout you?" Lewis asked, his question confusing Alessia.

"What about me?" Alessia asked.

"Solomon is the one that-"

"No... I'm fine. It was just an accident,"

"I'm ol' or at least I'm gettin' up there," Lewis said, standing, "I'm a slow learner but I learn... sooner or later,"

"What's that suppose to mean this time?" Alessia asked.

"Doe'n't mean nothin' 'til it means somethin'," he answered as he left the office.

"You talk in riddles like that and wonder why I throw out your beer..." Alessia mumbled to herself.


	47. Chapter 13-5

**Act II**

 **Chapter 13-5**

 **?**

Week 12 - Day 6

Cael lay on his back and pushed the bar up as he exhaled. He held it there for a brief moment before bringing the bar back down to his chest as he inhaled. He pushed it back up, exhaling as he did. When he had done it three more times he put the bar back on the rack and sat up, the moon lighting the makeshift gym. He sat on the bench, resting for a moment before getting up and adding two ten pound plates, one to each side of the bar. When the plates were secured on the bar, Cael lay back down on the bench and began pressing the bar.

Alessia woke from her sleep from the sound of the metal plates moving up and down. She got out of bed and went over into the next room where Cael was. She didn't say anything, just watched him, rubbing the sand out of her tired eyes as she did. When Cael was done he racked the bar then sat up and rested.

"How much is that?" Alessia asked.

"Hundred fifteen..." Cael said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"What was it before?" Alessia asked.

"Hundred fifty..." Cael said, adding two more ten pound plates, one to each side.

"Why're you up in the middle of the night...?" Alessia asked.

"Can't sleep..." Cael said as he started lifting the bar and pressing it.

"Have you tried?"

"No..."

"Then it doesn't count..."

Cael racked the bar again and added more plates to it before laying back onto the bench. Alessia went behind the bar and leaned on it, preventing Cael from taking it off the rack.

"Go to sleep," she said, "I'll even let you get the bed,"

"Let me? It's my bed..." Cael said.

"Not while I'm here," Alessia replied sarcastically. Alessia leaned on the bar until Cael got up off the bench and went back to the sofa. When he was back on the sofa, Alessia went back to bed but Cael didn't sleep. He lay awake, looking up at the ceiling with his mind empty but filled with something that he wasn't familiar with.

Noland lay on the couch trying to sleep but unable to. He got up and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Once he had it, he was about to go back to the sofa but decided to go check on his mother. He passed Lewis' room where Lewis was sleeping, his loud snoring echoing through the short hallway and closed the door to the room then made his way to Alessia's where his mother slept. He took care not to disturb her, sitting in the chair and placing his glass on the nearby night stand. He sat there for a moment, looking around Alessia's room and taking an occasional sip of his water. After a while, he fell asleep in the chair, forgetting to go back to the sofa.

"Hey, wake up," Lewis said quietly, softly shaking Noland awake. Noland awoke slowly and stretched his arm. "It's mornin', get dressed,"

Noland nodded and got up, moving quietly to make sure he didn't wake his mother. Lewis was already dressed so Noland went straight to the bathroom where Lewis had laid out a towel and rag for him to use. After Noland had showered and dressed, he went downstairs where Lewis was waiting for him.

"Went an' grabbed a bite," Lewis said, throwing Noland a bag of food. Noland sat the bag down and opened it. "Eat it on the way,"

Lewis and Noland drove in Lewis' car, Noland eating his breakfast as they made their commute. The drive was silent, except for Lewis playing his ancient western cowboy music on the music player. When they arrived at the Black Raven hangar, they were surprised to see that a large group of reporters had gathered at the hangar doors. Noland caught sight of Alexander leaning his head out of the side exit and pointed him out to Lewis who then parked on the side of the hangar, out of sight of the reporters. He and Noland went to the side door where Alexander let them in.

"What's goin' on?" Lewis asked.

"Hype. Everyone's trying to get the scoop on us before the match," Alexander told him.

"How's Alessia doin'?" Lewis asked as they went up the stairs to the office.

"Uh..." Alexander hesitated, opening the door to the office where Alessia could be seen inside, furiously typing on her tablet.

Lewis and Noland entered, making sure not to disturb Alessia as she worked. Cael sat in the room, sleeping in his chair. When Alessia had finished typing, she sighed and leaned back in her chair. Lewis sat in the chair across from Cael and Noland sat at the end of the table while Alexander stood at the door.

"The reporters want interviews and Cunningham wants me to do 'em for publicity to help the Ark..." Alessia said.

"Prob'ly not a good idea right now..." Lewis said.

"It isn't but Cunningham's holding the sponsorship contract over my head..." Alessia explained. "Between this and the headlines Noland's made, we're in for a PR nightmare..."

"Vai was there too, ya know," Noland said flatly.

"The press doesn't care about Vai. She's not the one committing crimes while fighting in the league!" Alessia yelled.

"So what're ya gonna do?" Lewis asked.

"Give the press what they want... We'll hold a press conference here on Sunday," Alessia sighed.

"Two days?" Lewis questioned.

"Cunningham wants us to do it before the fight but I don't want to do it now and I have a meeting tomorrow so yes, two days. Go tell the reporters outside-"

"Me? Why me?" Lewis asked.

"Because you're the coach and I'm a very busy business woman..." Alessia said sarcastically.

"Don't look busy to me..." Noland mocked.

"Then you can tell them..." Alessia said flatly.

"Oh, no. I'm not doing it," Noland said, holding his hand up. Lewis sighed and headed to the door, leaving the office grumbling under his breath.

Lewis pressed the button on the control panel to unlock and open the hangar doors. On the otherside of the door, the crowd of reporters had gotten larger and more were coming in. News vehicles with cameras and small spotlights now dotted the area in front of the hangar and Lewis sighed as the reporters began to swarm him, sticking devices in his face as they bombarded him with questions.

He rubbed his temples and sighed, trying to listen to specific questions but getting a headache by doing so. He tried waiting for a break in the noise but it never came. Frustrated with a headache, he grabbed the nearest reporter by the collar and took his microphone. The crowd of reporters were startled by his sudden burst and quieted down in awe of what happened.

"Shut, the hell up! There'll be a press conference here in two days on Sunday! We'll release the specifics of the event later! Save ya questions 'til then an' get the hell away from the hangar!" Lewis yelled.

He shoved the microphone back in the hands of the reporter he took it from then quickly walked back in the hangar as one of the crew used the control panel to close the doors behind him. Alexander ran over to him as he headed back up to the office.

"Could've handled that a bit more gracefully..." Alexander joked.

"Yeah, well I could o' brought out one o' the ACs an' started shootin' at 'em but that didn't happen either..." Lewis said sarcastically.

Alessia and Nolonad continued sitting silenty in the office. They had heard Lewis' shouting declaration and it woke Cael up however they ignored it, neither of them even making a joke about it. It was Alessia who broke the deafening silence.

"We need to figure this out, guys..." she said. Noland and Cael didn't respond which caused Alessia to sigh. "Are we still a team...?"

"I am not lookin' forward to a press conference," Lewis said as he entered. He saw how Noland and Cael were both looking down at the table while Alessia wore the face she wore when she was sad, pretending not to be. "Alessia," he said, "I think it'd be best if we forget trainin' altogether this time around..."

"I think you're right..." Alessia agreed, "Take an off day. I'll see you guys back here Sunday at the press conference..."

"I'll drive 'em home," Lewis said. Cael and Noland left the office, going to the parking lot and waiting at Lewis' car.

"Ya gonna be alright?" Lewis asked before leaving.

"I have a ton of stuff to go through anyway. We managed to get a few small business sponsorships but some of them are thinking about pulling their support..." Alessia told him.

"Not what I asked..."

"But that's my answer..."

Later that day, after Lewis had driven him home, Noland went out for a walk to clear his head. It was late and the setting sun left much of the sky in twilight as the night sky approached. People were out and about on the sidewalks, enjoying all that the city had to offer.

Noland walked and walked until he realized that he had walked all the way to the arena. Seeing how far he had come, he decided to go the rest of the way, walking the short distance to one of the massive dome's entrances. It was at the entrance that he saw Dawn, standing still, looking up at the arena. Noland looked around and saw no one around except for Dawn. He walked over and stood beside her, looking up at the arena as well, trying to find out what it was that was holding her attention. After a few minutes and not seeing what it was she was staring at, he waved his hand in front of her face. She didn't react at first, just continued looking up at the arena.

"You stay like that for too long, your neck'll get stuck like that..." Noland joked.

"You're not funny..." Dawn said flatly, not taking her eyes off the arena.

"You have no sense of humor," Noland countered.

Noland sat on the sidewalk and looked back towards the rest of the city. The sky had gotten much darker and Circle City was glowing from the millions of lights that had been switched on to illuminate it. The scene, one that he had seen dozens of times before, brought a strange and unfamiliar peace to him. He sat there, relaxed, enjoying the view.

"Are you angry...?" Dawn asked, her question catching Noland off guard.

"Angry?" he asked as he looked up at her, confused by the question. Dawn, without turning her head to him, pointed to what was left of his left arm. "Oh,"

"Are you angry at the person who did that?" she asked, clarifying her question. Noland took a moment to think, putting his hand on his shoulder.

"I've never met the person... She wears a helmet every time she's in public. I don't even know if her teammates know what she looks like..."

"But are you angry?"

"I... I honestly don't know," Noland answered, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, "I won't know for sure until I see her face to face and look her in the eye..."

Dawn sat down next to Noland and stared at the city. Noland grinned and did the same. They sat there for a moment, watching the city get brighter and brighter while the sky darkened. "I'd compare this to whatever you were looking at but I don't know what you were looking at," Noland joked.

"You're not funny..." Dawn said flatly.

"And you have no sense of humor," Noland countered. The two looked into each others' eyes, the light from the city making Dawn's brown eyes seem lighter. The moment was broken up by his phone ringing. He checked it to find that he had received a message from Lewis who was looking him. "It's my coach... My my mom's staying at his place because we can't afford the hospital bill. I gotta go, he's looking for me..."

As he said that, a black car pulled up and stopped a short distance in front of them. A man in a black suit got out of the driver's seat and made his way to the side of the car that faced the two. "Miss Lacile..." the man said.

"Lacile...?" Noland echoed.

"I do too..." Dawn said as she stood and walked towards the car. Noland stood as well and dusted himself off.

"I finally know your whole name...!" Noland joked as Dawn got into the car.

"No... you don't..." Dawn said as she got in.

"Middle names don't count!" Noland shouted as the man in the black suit got into the driver's seat. A short moment later, the car had driven off. Noland hit himself in the forehead.

"Why didn't I ask for a lift?" he asked himself.

"I'd also like to thank The Ark for sponsoring this event and providing security. They've been a generous sponsor and an integral part of keeping this team afloat. With all that out of the way, we can move on to the Q & A part of this press conference. If you would raise your hands, I will call on one of you and if you would state your question and who it's meant for, that would be nice," Alessia said from behind the podium.

The hangar was filled with journalists, cameramen, and others who were there to report on the Black Raven press conference being held. Security guards from The Ark were stationed at the entrances to the hangar and around the ACs to make sure no one tried anything illegal. Alessia stood at the podium while Lewis, Noland and Cael sat at a table behind her to the side. There were microphones for each of them on the table in front of them and they were now awaiting questions. Alessia pointed to one of the journalists in the front who had raises his hand.

"This question's for Noland. Why did you blow up the rocket storage facility?" the reporter asked.

"Ah boy..." Lewis grumbled under his breath. Noland moved his mouth closer to the microphone with his mouth open but saying nothing.

"Uh..." Noland began, "No comment?"

""That's... not an answer..." the reporter said.

"Next question," Alessia said. The reporters raised their hands and Alessia chose one.

"Why did you blow up that storage facility?" the second reporter asked.

"Uh... No comment?" Noland said again.

"Okay. No more questions about that incident please," Alessia interceded. A journalist raised her hand and Alessia pointed to her, "Yes?"

"There've been cries from several other teams calling for Noland to be banned from the ACFL due to his criminal record that is now public. What are your thoughts on that?" the journalist asked, her recorder ready.

"I believe in second chances-" Alessia answered.

"The Panther facility wasn't his first offense," the journalist interrupted.

"But it was his last..." Alessia said, turning her head to Noland, "Right?"

"Right," Noland said awkwardly.

"As for those teams calling for the ban, they're all teams we've beat in the past. I'm sure they'd love it if we lost one of our pilots," Alessia said confidently. Another reporter raised her hand and Alessia pointed to him.

"To Coach Clark. What are your thoughts on your team's performance during the Amazon fight?" he asked. Lewis scratched his head and sighed.

"You tryin' to get me to lose my job?" Lewis asked, trying to laugh off the question.

"Will Miss Saint-Claire fire you?" the reporter asked, putting pressure on Alessia.

"Of course not!" Alessia said angrily.

"Your thoughts, Coach Clark?" the reporter asked again. Lewis sighed.

"It was pathetic. They completely abandoned teamwork which is essential when you're only fielding a small team of three. To put it bluntly, it was a disgrace..." Lewis said, eyeing Noland and Cael. An awkward silence took over the hangar before Alessia pointed to another journalist who had raised his hand.

"For you, your eyes were confirmed to have been heavily damaged in your off season match against Dread Scythe. What operation did you go through to reconstruct your eyes? Who performed it?" the journalist asked.

"I'm not at liberty to disclose any information about my operation. I signed a contract that protects both my privacy and the privacy of the doctor who performed the operation... Next question," Alessia said, pointing to someone else who had raised their hand.

"What are your thoughts on the new double elimination format this season?"

"I haven't really thought about it," Alessia said, "I don't think any of us've thought about it... It's an... interesting format..."

"Anything about it you find specifically interesting?"

"The battle royale losers finals is a really interesting addition this years. It hasn't been tried before but it sounds like it'd be really entertaining to watch," Alessia said, pointing to another journalist who'd raised her hand.

"You say "watch," so does that mean you think you'll win in your upcoming match against Dread Scythe? What are your thoughts on Dread Scythe?" the journalist asked.

"That wasn't one question but... I don't know if we can beat Dread Scythe but I do know we'll try. Dread Scythe is a very skilled team and I caution any team not to underestimate them. Next question, preferably one," Alessia said, choosing another press member.

"This question's to Lewis. You were apart of Vertex and it was torn apart by differing opinions on the weaponization of ACs. Now your team is being sponsored by one of the private military companies that strongly advocated for the weaponization of ACs. Care to share any thoughts?"

"Hmmm..." Lewis said, pretending to think but immediately giving a flat, "No,".

"This question's for Cael," said the next person Alessia chose, "The last time you fought, Solomon defeated and crippled you in a very one sided battle. Is that on your mind at all going into this match?"

"No..." Cael said, his face expressionless. Alessia looked to Cael, then to Noland and Lewis. Like her, they seemed confused and worried. She and Lewis locked eyes for a brief second, both of them guessing at each other's concern then Alessia chose the next questioner.

"There's people, other pilots, other teams, that are questionin' if you guys should've just retired. Any words for them and why did you guys return to the league?"

"Question all they want," Alessia said after thinking about her answer, "We came back because..."

Alessia paused, thinking more about her answer to the question. She thought to herself, looking around the hangar and down at the podium where her tablet was, when an expression formed on her face. It was one of revelation, as if she had just realized a shocking truth and she indeed had. She turned her head to look her teammates in their eyes. Lewis' eyes showed his confidence, his confidence in Alessia. Noland's eyes showed his drive, his drive to help his mother. Cael's eyes stared blankly out the open doors of the hangar as if they were fixated on something only he could see. Alessia scanned the room until she found Alexander and when she did find him, he was standing next to the laid off workers from the Line. They were his reason for coming back. Alessia stood behind the podium, a drop of sweat starting to glide across her cheek. She scoffed.

"Except for Cael... I can probably tell you why every member of this team is here..." Alessia joked awkwardly, now aware of just how uncomfortable being the center of attention was but she continued, "but I can't tell you why I came back... This team is like my family... It is my family... But that's not really a reason, is it? Even if we weren't a team, they'd still be my family. We don't need Black Raven to be family... My parents, and Lewis were on this team together... this is their team... So maybe I just wanted to keep the legacy alive... but honestly, that never once crossed my mind... I always took pride in being a member of this team... but that pride I felt was always for being a pilot like my parents, not because I was on the team... I... I don't know why I came back... I just did it on a whim... I grew up in the UEN, mostly. My grandparents were always wealthy... I grew up around a bunch of rich kids and I always thought that I was nothing like them... Then I went and bought a team with my grandparents's millions... just because I could... Guess I'm more like them than I thought... I don't know why I came back..."

The crowd was silent as Alessia walked off the stage. Some of them were taking notes on what Alessia had said, some were watching her in awe. Lewis went to the podium and Noland went after Alessia.

"Sorry, folks. I'm afraid we might have to cut this a little short. Thank ya all for comin' out here today and... yeah..." Lewis said, addressing the crowd as they began to whisper among themselves.

"Sorry," Alessia said to Cunningham as she entered the office. He had been watching the press conference from the catwalk.

"Maybe now you can get your house in order..." Cunningham said under his breath as he headed to the stairs that lead down to the hangar floor.

"Think ya were a bit too hard on ya'self..." Lewis said, standing next to Alessia as they looked down to the ACs in the empty hangar. It was late in the evening and the sun was setting. The press had all left and Black Raven's press conference was already making headlines in the ACFL community.

"Trying to figure out what the problem with us was... Never once thought it was me..." Alessia sighed.

"Why? 'cause ya don't think ya got a reason to come back?"

"Because everyone on this team had a good reason, except me. I'm just-"

"Did ya really need one?"

"N-no... I-"

"Then I don't see why it's a big deal... Ya don't need some purpose to drive ya forward. We have a goal, an' that's all we need," Lewis said, putting his arm around her, "If ya need somethin' to drive ya, just be like me... Make others ya purpose,"

"What...?" Alessia asked, confused.

"The only reason I didn't quit back then was 'cause Noland didn't quit... As long as even one o' ya was on this team... that's all the reason I need to stay in the game... Then ya came back and I had another reason to keep at it..." Lewis explained. "I don't care if ya had a reason to come back or not... Noland did and it's like ya said, we're family. Family's as good a reason as any..."

Alessia tried pushing Lewis but couldn't so she settled for hugging him. She was smiling now, happy. "I'm glad you haven't drank all your brain cells away," she joked.

"Ya know I been tryin'. Ya brats gimme a headache...!" Lewis joked.


	48. Chapter 14

**Act II**

 **Chapter 14**

 **?**

Week 13 - Day 3

Preliminaries Round 2

Black Raven vs Dread Scythe

"It's gonna be heavier now that it's fully equipped," Alexander said as he stood on the Black Wolf's cockpit, watching Noland check all the controls.

"I'll manage... Could use you out there though," Noland said.

"I'm just a mechanic," Alexander said, stepping down from the cockpit onto the catwalk. "Watch yourself out there... Those guys are..."

"No need to tell me..." Noland said as he put his helmet on and closed the cockpit. The Black Wolf had a new shield mounted onto the left arm, a new machinegun, a new back mounted rifle, new high capacity adhessive mine launchers, and a new back mounted adhessive missile launcher. Noland struggled with the weight of the control stick as he moved the Black Wolf forward but he got a grip on it, straightening it out as he moved the Black Wolf towards the gate.

Across from where the Black Wolf had been prepped, Alessia and Lewis were preparing the Blackbird. Lewis watched as the Black Wolf stood at the gate, straightening itself out. Alessia checked the controls of the Blackbird, moving it's wheels and cameras. "Everything checks out," she said as Alexander arrived.

"All the new missiles you wanted'll slow you down..." Alexander said.

"I can't outrun them anyway. I need to fight in this match, not just be support..." Alessia said.

"Goes without sayin'... Don't underestimate 'em at any point. They won't be tryin' to win by scorin' points," Lewis said solemnly.

"I'd have to be stupid to think that..." Alessia said, closing the Blackbird's cockpit. Alexander ran down the catwalk to the White Wolf's station as the Blackbird headed toward the gate behind the Black Wolf. Lewis headed over to the White Wolf as well where Dr. Vinheim was was directing Cael on the new upgrades he had added after the team Amazon fight.

"I honestly didn't think you'd come through doc. Your team's pretty dam' good at makin' ACs," Alexander said, watching Cael check the White Wolf's controls.

"Neither did I. It was damaged so badly that I thought we would have to make a White Wolf four. Luckily, one of my other clients is a fan of Black Raven. When I told him about the damaged White Wolf he was practically ecstatic about providing my team with what they needed to fix it." Dr. Vinheim explained.

"Hear that, Cael? Sounds like you got a rich fan!" Alexander joked.

"Anything I should know about before I go?" Cael asked.

"Well... nothing I can think of," Dr. Vinheim said as he and Noland backed away from the cockpit.

"Cael," Lewis called as he approached, his call stopping Cael as he was about to close the cockpit. "I don't know what's goin' on in ya head but whatever it is... Settle it today. Don't get reckless though or ya'll lose. Got it?"

"... Got it..." Cael said as he closed the cockpit. The White Wolf came to life and the cockpit lit up in several places where there hadn't been lights before. Cael drove the White Wolf to the gate behind Alessia, inhaling and exhaling. Lewis, Alexander and Dr. Vinheim made their way to the operation room as the gate opened. The three Black Raven ACs headed into the tunnel as the gate closed behind them.

"I hear this Dread Scythe team are quite the contenders," Dr. Vinheim said as he sat in a chair behind Lewis who was watching the large monitor.

"It's thanks to 'em ya got to..." Lewis began but remembered that there was a referee in the room. "Yeah... they're tough bastards,"

"The White Wolf didn't have the Blitz Arms, I noticed," Dr. Vinheim pointed out, "You plan on saving them?"

"One way or another, we don't expect to make it out of the arena in one piece today," Lewis explained, "If we use it today, it'll be mid-match when we have it dock with the White Wolf. Besides, I like havin' an ace in the hole,"

"I see... Well, I suppose I can wait a while but you will be using them before the end of the season?" Dr. Vinheim asked.

"Not usin' 'em would be shootin' ourselves in the foot," Lewis answered.

"No training, no plan, and two pilots less than the first time we fought 'em..." Noland said sarcastically.

"We have a plan and we'll just have to make do and wing it," Alessia countered.

"Winging it and suicide are two very different things," Noland joked.

"Well I only had a few days to come up with something you two could learn in a day... Not like you two were a big help with the planning..." Alessia said scoldingly.

"Our bad. Right, Cael?" Noland apologized but Cael gave no response. He sat in the White Wolf's cockpit, his eyes closed, waiting. As the countdown came close to the ten second count, Alessia put on her helmet and Noland flexed his fingers. The beeping of the ten second countdown began. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one...

The Black Wolf scratched against the wall of the tunnel as it dashed forward but Noland centered it once he was out. The Blackbird followed the Black Wolf, dashing forward, out of the tunnel. Cael inhaled then exhaled, putting on his helmet and taking the White Wolf's controls.

"Where's Cael?" Noland asked as the Black Bird pulled up next to him.

"He didn't launch?" Alessia asked.

"Cael...?" Lewis called.

Cael leaned the White Wolf forward, pressing hard on the pedals. The White Wolf's wheels spun but the White Wolf stayed in place as smoke gathered in the tunnel. Seconds later, the White Wolf dashed out of the tunnel speeding past his teammates as he headed toward the downtown area of the arena city.

"And there he goes..." Noland said.

"The other reason I kept the plan simple," Alessia said, "Leave Solomon to him. We need to focus on the other two."

"Betting the match on whether or not Cael can be Solomon... This is crazy..." Noland said.

"That's the only way we can get the numbers advantage," Alessia reminded Noland. The two of them headed along the same route as Cael, Noland keeping the Black Wolf out in front to shield the Blackbird as it deployed the Sky-Eye drone.

Cael didn't have to look for the Dread Scythe ACs because they were waiting for him at the intersection in the middle of the city. Cael saw the Fina and the Dark Queen but his eyes, his focus, were only on the Blaze Knight waiting in the rear. As the White Wolf drew closer to his opponents, Cael's body tensed, anticipating the Solomon's comrades to attack but they didn't. When Cael had passed the two of them, he realized they weren't going to attack him and his eyes widened as the realization hit him that Solomon was within his grasp.

Alessia and Noland arrived, seeing that Laurence and Dusk had let Cael through to Solomon. They kept their weapons trained on the Fina and the Dark Queen as they approached. Then, after they had gottten closer, the Fina drew it's sickle swords and jumped at the two Black Raven ACs. Cael had the White Wolf draw one of it's machineguns and fire it at the Blaze Knight.

The Blaze Knight, armed with a new rifle, dodged the White Wolf's attacks and the two ACs began to circle one another. Solomon had the Blaze Knight fire it's rifle, hitting the White Wolf's shield and causing it to spin out. Cael quickly recovered, drawing his second machinegun and firing it at the Blaze Knight. The Blaze Knight blocked the White Wolf's bullets with the shield on it's left shoulder, firing it's rifle at the building and creating a hole that he went through to enter the building. Cael wasted no time, entering the building and chasing after the Blaze Knight. Solomon drove the Blaze Knight up the ramps inside the building keeping the Blaze Knight facing the White Wolf as it chased him.

"Cael, what ya doin'? It's a trap! If the White Wolf falls from that height you're out...!" Lewis said.

"The same goes for him...!" Cael said, pressing harder on the pedals, firing his machineguns at the Blaze Knight.

The Fina's sickle sword cut into the Black Wolf's shield as it backed away. Alessia circled around to the Fina's rear, firing the Blackbird's rifle at it's Core and cockpit. The Fina jumped backwards, it's reverse jointed legs allowing it to vault over the Blackbird. Once behind the Blackbird, the Fina tried to stab the it's four legged opponent but had to evade the incoming rifle rounds from the Black Wolf by jumping away. The Fina jumped into a building, crashing through it's wall and landing on it's third floor.

"He's quick..." Noland said as he fired his machinegun at the Fina as it looked down at him.

"The other one hasn't moved..." Alessia said, taking a quick glance at the Dark Queen that had been standing still since the fighting started.

"Better for us. We wanted the numbers advantage after all," Noland joked. He moved the Black Wolf away from the building as the Fina jumped down from the third floor. As soon as it had landed it jumped again, lunging at the Black Wolf. Noland narrowly dodged the Fina's slash, the sickle sword cutting once again into the Black Wolf's shield.

Alessia fired the adhesive missiles that were attached to the Blackbird's shoulders but the Fina jumped over them as it lunged at her. The Blackbird zig zagged away from it's attacker, firing it's rifle to cover it's retreat. The Fina dashed at the Blackbird, keeping it's wheels on the ground, matching the Blackbird's zig zagging movement and when it had drawn near, Alessia flipped the switch that toggled the missile launchers on the front legs, firing them at the Fina at close range. The missiles impacted the Fina created, a large smoke screen came forth, obscurring Alessia's vision but also Laurence's. Alessia toggled back to the adhesive missile launchers as she moved the Blackbird away just as the Fina burst through the smoke bringing it sickle swords down on the spot where the Blackbird had just left less than a second earlier.

"Noland!" Alessia called.

"I see him...!" Noland said, targetting the Fina through the thick smoke screen thanks to the tracking gel that was in the smoke missiles. Noland fired the Black Wolf's back mounted rifle and seconds later a loud impact could be heard. Noland continued firing his rifle at the spot where the Fina was and Alessia joined in on the opposite side, firing her rifle.

"One down..." Noland sighed as the signal from the tracking gel split into several smaller signals. Alessia exhaled as she glanced at the building where the Dark Queen was standing but gasped when she saw that it was no longer there.

"Noland...!" she called out. As the smoke cleared, the Dark Queen stood facing the Black Wolf, it's shield up and dented after blocking the Black Wolf's attacks. The Fina was back to back with the Dark Queen. It's core, where the tracking gel was, had been damaged and the pieces of metal that was covered by the gel had been blown off.

Cael and Solomon were locked in combat as they circled each other, one attacking, the other blocking or dodging while counterattacking. They were on the sixth floor of the building, their ACs creating sparks as they narrowly avoided crashing their ACs into the wall as they fought. The Blaze Knight fired it's arm mounted machinegun at the White Wolf but the White Wolf blocked the attack with it's shields. The White Wolf in turn turned it's shields to their outward positions, bringing it's machineguns to up to aim at the Blaze Knight but Solomon was expecting the move.

Solomon quickly fired the Blaze Knight's rifle at the White Wolf's Core, causing the White Wolf to spin out and crash into the wall behind it. Cael's hit his head against the back of the cockpit chair, his helmet keeping him safe and then he clenched his teeth as he recovered, seeing the Blaze Knight standing there, not following up. The White Wolf fired one of it's machinguns at the Blaze Knight but it dodged the attack as it retreated, heading up another ramp to the roof. Cael followed, dodging the Blaze Knight's machingun fire as he got onto the roof.

The two began circling each other again, keeping the circle tight due to the edges of the roof having small guards. After a minute of nonstop fighting, Cael finally found an opening and he took it. He spun the White Wolf, dodging the Blaze Knight's machinegun fire, then once he was facing the Blaze Knight, he blocked the Blaze Knight's rifle shot with his shield. He followed up by trying to fire the right hand machinegun but the Blaze Knight's own machinegun fired, destroying it.

Cael quickly brought the left hand machinegun up and dashed in at the Blaze Knight. He pulled the trigger with the Blaze Knight at point blank range but nothing happened. The machinegun was empty. Cael's eyes widened, his shock causing him to pause for longer than he should have but the Blaze Knight didn't move. It stood there with the White Wolf's machingun pointed directly at it's Core.

"Well I'm honestly conflicted. I feel like I should be rooting for Mr. Nox but if Mr. Burnes continues to push him at this level I'll have a splendid amount of data on the White Wolf to go through. Hmm..." Dr. Vinheim thought aloud as he cleaned his glasses.

"Ya should get ya priorities straight, doc," Lewis said, "Cael, Alessia an' Nol're havin' a rough time. The whole match depends on if ya can beat Solomon or not, so get to it...!"

Lewis' words snapped Cael out of his shock. He backed the White Wolf away, dropping his empty machinegun as he did and was about to have the White Wolf draw it's shotguns when a new shock paralyzed him. Cael watched as the Blaze Knight dropped it's rifle and drew it's sword.

Cael, his teeth clenched, had the White Wolf draw it's swords as well. "If that's how you want it..." Cael mumbled to himself as he dashed towards the Blaze Knight. The White Wolf slashed at the Blaze Knight but the attack was blocked by the Blaze Knight's shoulder mounted shield. The Blaze Knight circled around to the White Wolf's flank before Cael could follow through with the White Wolf's second sword.

Cael reacted quickly, spinning the White Wolf around to face the Blaze Knight as it charged him. The two ACs locked sword, Cael defending with his swords crossed to keep the Blaze Knight's blade from slicing the White Wolf's head in half. Solomon adjusted the position of the Blaze Knight's blade, bringing his AC closer to the blades, trying to force the White Wolf back and, when Cael realized what Solomon was doing, he pressed down hard on the pedals, countering the Blaze Knight's force. The two seemed equally matched but Cael noticed movement on the Blaze Knight's legs.

"Those are...!" Cael exclaimed as the structures on the Blaze Knight's legs opened, revealing a pair of hidden boosters. Flames spewed from the boosters as they propelled the Blaze Knight forward, pushing the White Wolf back despite Cael's efforts. In a last ditch effort, Cael took his foot off the pedal and reversed tire direction, allowing himself to be pushed back.

The White Wolf and the Blaze Knight went far over the edge of the building's roof. Cael watched as the Blaze Knight's boosters pushed it far enough to reach the rooftop of the nearest building with a low elevation but he knew he would not be as lucky. The Blaze Knight's boosters adjusted themselves so that they faced the rooftop, trying to reduce the impact of the fall. It did several spins the moment it made contact with the roof, digging it's sword in the roof and narrowly avoiding falling off the opposite end.

Meanwhile, Cael quickly rotated the White Wolf's hands and dug his own swords into the wall of the building, attempting to slow his fall. As he did this, one of his swords broke, causing all the White Wolf's weight to be focused on it's left arm. The White Wolf landed, hard, and the impact winded the already hyperventilating so Cael breathed quickly, trying to regain his breathe. The White Wolf's left arm had been heavily damaged at the shoulder joint and would no longer function properly so Cael had it plunge it's sword into the road so that he could grab it with the right hand.

"Well that's interesting," Dr. Vinheim said as he watched the Black Wolf's feed.

"What's interesting?" Alexander asked.

"That gold AC reminds me of a monkey," Dr. Vinheim explained.

"A monkey? Why a monkey?" Alexander asked, confused.

"The hands..." Dr. Vinheim said.

"What? They look like the average AC hands. Why do they remind you of a monkey?" Alexander asked, even more confused.

Noland moved the Black Wolf out of the way just as the Fina brought it's sickle swords down and circled to his opponent's side. Noland was now in a position to score a hit on the golden AC and he was close enough so that the Fina wouldn't be able to jump away in time to dodge his attack. The Black Wolf launched adhesive mines at the Fina but Noland was surprised by the sound of metal being crushed along with the damage reports for the Black Wolf's leg popping up on his screen. "That's new...!" Noland shouted as he backed away, dettaching the armor on the Black Wolf's left leg along with it's mine launchers.

"I meant those hands," Dr. Vinheim said, reffering to the hands hidden in the Fina's feet, "Well, maybe they're feet more so than hands,"

"Didn't think to give me a heads up?" Noland asked, overhearing the doctor.

"I only just noticed it when he jumped towards you," Dr. Vinheim said.

"Dam' things' a monster..." Lewis said, "Nol, how's the Black Wolf?"

"It's fine," Noland said as he dodged the the Fina's incoming slashes, "On the bright side, he's a bit lighter now,"

"Nol!" Alessia called out. Noland got out of the way of Alessia's incoming adhesive missile barrage. Noland used Alessia's distraction to put distance between the Black Wolf and the Fina.

"What happened to Dusk?" Noland asked.

"She wasn't even fighting me. She was just luring me away from you so I came back here," Alessia told him.

"These guys're..." Noland mumbled.

Their talk was cut short when the Fina began running almost perpendicular across the sides of buildings, it's feet-hands gripping building.

"That is... so cool..." Noland said in awe of the Fina as it approached.

"Be impressed later! He's comin' right at ya!" Lewis yelled.

Noland fired the Black Wolfs machinegun, moving to the opposite side of the street and backing away as the Fina came closer. Alessia fired two of smoke missiles from the vertical launchers on the Blackbird's back legs as she fired her rifle at the Fina, then the Fina pushed off the building at the last moment, dodging Alessia's attack and landing next to the Black Wolf. The Fina kicked the Black Wolf that blocked the attack with it's shield, pushing the Black Wolf back as it jumped towards the Blackbird.

Alessia began to backpedal, zig zagging and firing her rifle. The Fina dodged all her shots as it made it's moved, jumping and lunging at the Blackbird. Alessia fired the last round in her rifle and dropped it in the instant one of the Fina's sickle swords cut into it. She backed the Blackbird away as the Fina made a second lunge, this time stabbing at the Blackbird but Alessia raised the Blackbird's shield to protect the Core.

The tip of Fina's blade pierced through the shield and stabbed into the Blackbird's arm. Alessia dismissed the beeping and the on screen damage report as she did she furiously worked the Blackbird's controls to keep the still pushing Fina from driving it's blade any deeper. Noland, seeing the Fina locked into it's attack, took the opportunity to take aim with the Black Wolf's rifle. He fired the moment that his target lock was confirmed but the Dark Queen dashed onto the road, blocking Noland's rifle rounds with it's shield.

Noland immediately fired another shot from his rifle, not waiting for the target lock, aiming at the Dark Queen. Noland gasped when he saw what happened next. To Noland's disbelief, the Dark Queen had not just dodged the bullet but deflected it as well, causing the rifle round to impact a building instead of going towards the Fina that was still pushing the Blackbird back.

"That reaction speed...!" Lewis gasped.

"Is that even possible?" Alexander asked.

Alessia grunted as the back of the cockpit smashed against a building. The Fina's blade was still skewering the Blackbird's shield and arm. It had pushed the Blackbird far down the road from where the Black Wolf was and Noland wouldn't be able to reach Alessia in time to help.

Laurence realized that his blade wouldn't be able to reach the Blackbird's cockpit and backed the Fina away just far enough to maneuver the Fina's legs while keeping the tip of his blade inside the Blackbird's arm. The Fina lifted one of it's legs, the hand in the bottom of the feet revealing itself, and grabbed the Blackbird's shield, crushing it slightly while ripping it off. Alessia detonated her smoke missiles, creating a smoke screen but the Fina stabbed the Blackbird in the shoulder, pinning it to the building.

Alessia manually input the command to detach the Blackbird's damaged arm from the Core and drove the Blackbird forward, tackling the Fina. With the Blackbird's cockpit off the wall, Alessia deployed the Sky-Eye before the Fina pushed her AC back against the wall. The Fina reared it's arms back slightly, preparing to impale the Blackbird but Alessia had the Sky-Eye crash into the Fina, tackling the golden AC with the Blackbird immediately after. The Fina had to jump backwards to keep it's footing but it gave Alessia enough space to drive the Blackbird away.

"She's toying with me..." Noland mumbled to himself. He had been attacking the Dark Queen, shooting it's machineguns at the bipedal, but the Dark Queen dodged all of his attacks. When Noland got in close, the Dark Queen used it's scythe to destroy his machinegun but it didn't follow up with a counterattack, instead choosing to back away.

"If that's the case..." Noland said as he put distance between the Black Wolf and the Dark Queen. He fired his missiles at the Dark Queen but Dusk continued to evade his attacks. Noland fired a second volley of missiles, quickly switching to his rifle and firing it as soon as he could. The Dark Queen dodged the missiles and blocked his rifle shot with it's shield.

The White Wolf and the Blaze Knight dashed through the streets of the arena city with buildings passing them by and when Cael saw an opening, he crossed over onto the street Solomon was on then the two of them clashed swords. The Blaze Knight would always force the White Wolf back and try to follow up with it's machineguns however Cael would drive the White Wolf back to the street it had come from as a building blocked the Blaze Knight's bullets. The Blaze Knight prepared to meet the White Wolf as it attempted to cross over again but Cael saw his opportunity as well. He crashed the White Wolf through a building, coming out on the other side and tackling the Blaze Knight.

The two ACs crashed through the wall of another building but the Blaze Knight quickly got the upperhand when it used it's boosters again, throwing the White Wolf into one of the building's walls. The Blaze Knight backed out of the building through the hole the two ACs had entered in and the White Wolf dashed at it, locking swords as they both started dashing down the street. The White Wolf's cockpit was lit up with warning signals and a damage report of the White Wolf that showed that every part of the frame had been compromised. The two ACs continued to clash, neither of them getting the upperhand until the Blaze Knight managed to overpower the White Wolf and cause it to crash.

The White Wolf clashed swords with the Blaze Knight again but this time Cael's eyes widened when he saw the cockpit lights flicker. The hum from the White Wolf's Tesla engine quieted down and eventually stopped as the lights in the cockpit turned off. The Blaze Knight took a step away from the White Wolf, storing it's sword. The White Wolf's emergency power kicked in and the AC began powering up again. The Blaze Knight placed it's left hand on the White Wolf's Core then, As the power returned to the White Wolf, the screen came back on but only for a moment as it immediately turned back off as the screen cracked.

"That was..." Alexander said, shocked and unable to finish his sentence.

"A pile bunker... hidden in it's arm..." Lewis said.

"It no doubt uses the hydraulics from the upper arm to supplement it's power... A most impressive design..." Dr. Vinheim said, impressed.

"What happened," Alessia asked, "Is Cael okay?"

As she listened for a response, the Fina that had been pursuing her leapt over the Blackbird, stabbing the Blackbird's legs when it had landed. Alessia gasped, not expecting the Fina to have overtaken her so abruptly. With the Blackbird's legs disabled and her weapons gone, Alessia was unabled to defend herself when the Fina drove both it's sickle swords down into her AC's Core, forcing it's shutdown.

The Dark Queen quickly closed in on the Black Wolf, avoiding it's rifle shots and slashing the rifle's barrel to disable it. Noland backed the now defenseless Black Wolf away but the Dark Queen prevented his escape by using it's grappling hook. Noland braced himself for the Dark Queen's next attack but a few seconds passed by without the Dark Queen attacking.

"It's over Nol," Lewis' said, "Cael an' Alessia're down. No point in damagin' the Black Wolf anymore,"

"Damn..." Noland said, taking his feet off the pedals and opening his cockpit. He climbed out of the cockpit and stood next to the Black Wolf's head. The beeping sound that heralded the end of the match played the moment he opened his cockpit. The Dark Queen released the Black Wolf and Dusk also climbed out of her cockpit.

The two teams met in one of the arena's lobbies, crowds of fans cheering for their team and journalist clamoring to have their questions answered.

"Well fought," Solomon said, extending his hand to Alessia.

"Well fought," Alessia said cheerfully, shaking Solomon's hand then stepping to the side to shake Laurence's hand.

"Where's your third pilot? Dusk?" Noland asked as he shook Solomon's hand.

"She didn't want to come. I assure you she meant no disrespect, it's just that she can be quite shy around large groups of people," Solomon told him, taking a quick glance at the crowds of people observing. Noland stepped to the side to shake Laurence's hand and Laurence arrogantly smirked as they did.

As Cael stepped up, Solomon extended his hand, the two of their eyes locked. Lewis, Alexander, Alessia and Noland looked on, worried about what Cael would do. Cael looked down at Solomon's hand, and clenched his fists. The crowd grew silent when they saw Cael wasn't accepting the handshake.

"I wasn't sure before," Cael said, "but now I'm certain..."

"What do you mean?" Solomon asked.

"You were trying to kill us two years ago..." Cael said. His teammates were surprised and the crowd began whispering, talking about what Cael had just said. Solomon's expression became stern for a brief second before he lowered his hand and smiled.

"I see. You're upset about your loss. I never thought you were the type to be a sore loser... but throwing baseless accusations like that around because you lost is disgraceful..." Solomon said.

"Baseless?" Cael asked.

"Cael's not the type..." Lewis said to himself as he observed the scene unfold. Alessia heard him and then went to Cael's side.

"What're you doing?" she asked Cael as he and Solomon stared each other down.

"Think about it," Cael said to Alessia, not taking his eyes off Solomon's, "Their ACs've been upgraded since then... but they didn't need upgraded ACs to do what they did,"

"As I've said many times before, it was a mistake. We got carried away and you and your team were hurt because of it. You would know that had you not hid yourself away," Solomon said, amusement in his voice. A side glance at Laurence and Cael could see that he was holding back laughter behind his wide smile.

"Did you get carried away back then? Didn't seem to take you much effort to beat us today," Cael said.

"Tell me, do things stay the same for two years in your eyes? We did learn restraint, believe it or not," Solomon said sarcastically.

"It's not just the restraint, it's the skill. You guys showed up with a superior level of skill and say you didn't have the restraint? Then you gain an even higher level of skill in two years? One of those years being a cancelled season and the other a season where you easily won every single one of your matches? Ask any other pilot in the league and they'll say what I'm saying now. No one gets that good in just two years..."

The crowd began to talk again as Cael turned his heads towards the pilots of some of the other teams who had gathered to the side to watch the spectacle unfold. They began talking amongst themselves as well.

"Maybe we're just better than you," Laurence said, taking a step forward, "Or maybe you're not as good as you think?"

Noand and Alexander quickly went to stand behind Cael when they saw Laurence step towards their friend. Laurence laughed at the sight but Solomon put his hand on his teammate's shoulder. "Let him believe what he wants. It was an unfortunate accident. Nothing more. If he wants to be bitter about it, then so be it," Solomon said. The two Dread Scythe pilots took their leave, reporters and journalists bombarding them with questions as they exited the lobby. The Black Raven team also made their exit, going through the door that led to a "Staff & Teams Only" part of the arena to avoid the press that was coming after them.

The arena was quiet. Almost all of the fans and press had gone, leaving only the arena's staff along with a few team members. Noland walked through the hall and sat on one of the benches. The hall he was on was apart of one of the sections of the arena reserved for staff and team members. The hallway connected one of the arena's hangars to a locker room and shortcut to one of the lobbies. It was empty except for Noland and one woman wearing a hat who was leaving the locker room.

"Someone once asked me if I was angry about what happened to my arm," Noland said as the woman passed him, headed towards the lobby. "I told her I wouldn't know until I met the person face to face..."

The woman continued walking towards the lobby, ignoring Noland then Noland stood up and the woman stopped walking. "Take off the hat," Noland ordered. The woman looked down to the floor before lifting her head and removing the hat as well as the shades that hid her face. She turned to face Noland as her long, almost gray, black hair fell down to her back and Noland looked as if he had seen a ghost.

"Are you angry?" Dusk asked, her voice flat, her face expressionless, and her eyes brown.

"Dawn...?" Noland said in disbelief. "Y-y-you're... you're the one...?"

"Are you angry at the person who did that to you?" Dusk asked, pointing to Noland's arm, "Are you angry at me?"

"I-I..." Noland stuttered, unable to get his words out. "Is it true?"

"True?"

"What Cael said... Did you really try to kill us two years ago...?"

"... No..."

"Did you do what you did on purpose...?" Noland asked, his voice expressing the pain he was feeling as tears began to gather in his eyes. Dusk didn't answer his question immediately so Noland asked her again with more rage in his voice.

"Yes..." Dusk answered. Noland sat back down on the bench, a defeated look on his face. "Are you angry?" Dusk asked again. Noland stood and walked towards Dusk, his head bowed in defeat. He walked towards Dusk and passed her, heading towards the lobby.


	49. Chapter 15

**Act II**

 **Chapter 15**

 **?**

Week 13 - Day 4

Alessia sat with her head on the table and one of the news networks playing on the large monitor with the volume muted. She sighed just as Lewis entered into the office, sweating with an exhausted look on his face. He saw Alessia then he sighed, noticing that the news network was still on. The outside of the Black Raven hangar was being broadcast and it showed the hordes of people surrounding the place. Lewis eased into the chair across from Alessia and leaned back in it, letting out a sigh of comfort and relief.

"This... is a PR nightmare..." Alessia mumbled.

"Been havin' a lot o' those lately," Lewis said.

"Cael stayed home today," she said.

"So did Nol. They swarmed the house and he didn't want to leave Anna there alone. I called Alex on the way. Say's he's comin' in soon's the crowd clears out from the Line," Lewis said.

"Do ya think Cael's right?"

"Cael's got a good head an' a better gut. An' he's not the type to jump to conclusions, out loud anyway... Then again, when it comes to Solomon, he's been more reckless than usual,"

"He didn't say anything last night. Barely even talked..."

"Nol didn't seem too chipper either... Don't know what got into him... What the hell...?

Alessia lifted her head from the table and stretched her arms. The news network had caught Lewis' attention as a giant armored vehicle approached the hangar. Alessia looked at the monitor as well, expressing a similar shock as Lewis except her jaw dropped. The camera zoomed in on the vehicle as it pulled up to the hangar's side door, cutting through the crowd of people that had gathered there. Alessia's phone rang, which she started not to answer but did without thinking.

"If you would be so kind, Miss Saint-Claire," Cunningham's voice said through the phone.

"It's Cunningham...!" Alessia said, jumping up out of her seat then rushing out of the office and down the stairs. She made her way to the side door and opened it as Cunningham along with several of his men entered the hangar.

"My thanks," Cunningham said as Alessia closed and locked the door.

"Mr. Cunningham, what're you doing here?" Alessia asked, surprised.

"I thought you all could use the security. I was going to ask you to come in for a meeting but I highly doubt you'd have been able to get through that crowd in just a car," Cunningham said. Cunningham ordered his men to stand guard at the hangar's entrances as he and Alessia made their way up to the office where Lewis was still sitting, watching the news broadcast.

"Mr. Clark. I've heard a lot about you. Strange that we haven't had the chance to formally meet," Cunningham said, extending his hand to Lewis. Lewis looked at his hand then up at him before getting up out of his seat.

"Nothin' strange about it. I've been avoidin' ya is all," Lewis said, shaking Cunningham's hand, "I try to avoid people I don't like,"

"Lewis!" Alessia scolded and Cunningham laughed as he took a seat.

"You remind me of my father, Mr. Clark," Cunningham laughed, "He was an honest man. Always honest and always straightforward,"

"I'm hopin' that ya inherited that," Lewis taunted. Alessia sat down across from Cunningham, straightening her hair that she only just realized was messy.

"So, what was it about a meeting?" Alessia asked.

"It was to relay bad news, I'm afraid. After talking and discussing the situation with my commanders, I've concluded that we can no longer act as Black Raven's sponsors," Cunningham said.

"I figured this was coming soon," Alessia sighed, "I was hoping you'd make an exception since it was Dread Scythe,"

"I'm afraid not, miss Saint-Claire,"

"Thank you for all your support so far, Mr. Cunningham," Alessia sighed.

"Ya came all the way here just to tell us that?" Lewis asked.

"Perceptive. I'd expect no less from a former Vertex pilot. You're right. There is something else. After discussing with The Ark's Division Heads, I decided we couldn't sponsor you solely as an ACFL team. The case made against your team was far too strong. However, if you weren't solely an ACFL team..." Cunningham explained. Alessia was surprised, understanding what he was implying. She glanced at Lewis who was angrily glaring at Cunningham with narrowed eyes and a scowl.

"Out of the question," Alessia said sternly, "We are not a private military company and we do not support the weaponizing of armored cores. I mean no disrespect, Mr. Cunningham, but you were just a means to an end. If you cannot sponsor us as an ACFL team, then our relationship ends there."

"I admire your boldness miss Saint-Claire but you misunderstand what I'm saying. We can't sponsor you as an ACFL team and I'm well aware that you won't work for us in a military capacity," Cunningham said with a smile.

"I thought we were being straightforward here, Mr. Cunningham?" Lewis asked, his voice stern and eyes still narrowed.

"My apologies. What I mean is that I am willing to support your team as something else, an emissary for The Ark," Cunningham said as he rested his chin on his clasped fingers.

"Emissary?" Alessia asked.

"We have a special client and we need a representative to meet with them," Cunningham explained.

"Who's the client?" Lewis asked to which Cunningham smiled.

"I can't release that information to you. It's private... until you choose to accept the offer," Cunningham said.

"Thanks for the offer but we can't accept. We're still in the tournament and-"

"I'm aware, miss Saint-Claire. That's why the job is a short one. Two weeks in europe for just speaking with the client. In that regard, it's more of a vacation. After you meet with the client, it'll be up to you how you spend the rest of your time. You can even return if you so choose. Regardless of what you choose, I encourage you to consider your team's expenses for the next month. We're still your largest backer and your ACs have taken significant damage on top of maintenance costs for the hangar, replacement parts, paying your team members..."

Alessia looked to Lewis and discussed with him, without words, what Cunningham was offering. Cunningham's eyes shifted back and forth between the two and laughed. "If reading each other's minds gets too difficult, feel free to talk," Cunningham joked.

"Does it involve fighting or weapons or war or..." Alessia trailed off.

"No. None of those things are involved to my knowledge however, it's a fairly benign request from a client that benefits when there is no conflict," Cunnigham told her.

"Well...?" Alessia asked Lewis.

"Ya're the boss but... I don't see any harm. Worse case scenario's he's lyin' an' I'll have to ring his bell," Lewis said, cracking his knuckles with a smile on his face.

"Fair enough, Mr. Clark," Cunnigham grinned.

"Then we'll accept the offer," Alessia said.

"Excellent," Cunningham said, taking a phone-like device from the inside pocket of his blazer, pressing a button and giving it to Alessia, "This device has everything you need to know about your assignment. By placing your thumb on the center of the screen, the device will scan your thumb print and your thumb print will allow you to view the terms of the contract. If you don't like the terms, then you don't have to accept but if you do, scan your thumb print again. Your thumb print will act as your signature for the job's contract. If you want to review the contract, press the button on the side. Hold it down to bring the scanner back up."

Cunningham stood and straightened out his clothes. Alessia did as well and the two shook hands before Cunningham left the office. Alessia escorted him out but Cunningham had several of his men stay to provide security. When he was gone, Alessia went back up to the office where Lewis was still watching the monitor, watching the crowd outside the hangar being broadcast. Alessia examined the device Cunningham had left her and examined the thin rectangular device, pressing the button on the side like Cunningham had instructed, reading through the contract's terms when it showed up on the screen.

Noland sat silently, watching the TV alongside his mother. She laughed as she listened to the comedian make jokes about old pre-war movements and politicians. Several minutes passed as the comedian told his jokes and Anna noticed that Noland had not laughed at a single one. She placed her hand on his forehead and asked, "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah," Noland answered, "Why?"

"You haven't laughed at a single joke. You love this guy!" his mother said.

"I guess I must've spaced out," Noland said, smiling.

"Are you upset that you guys lost?" Anna asked, knowing that her son''s smile was fake.

"No, it's not that it's-"

"So it is something...?"

Noland paused to think about his answer which made his mother sigh. "Well if you're not going to talk to your mother about it, talk to Lewis or your friends, or that pretty girlfriend of yours," Anna said, poking Noland's cheek. Noland's grabbed his mother's hand and held it in his own, the fake smile he was trying to keep vanished from sight. "Is it about that girl?"

"She's not my girlfriend mom," Noland said, trying to smile again, "and I can't talk to my friends. They're busy enough,"

"So it is about the girl? Dawn, right? What happened? Did you two get into a fight or something?"

"No mom it's..." Noland sighed, heavily, "she... She's the one that..."

"Did she finally tell you?"

"Tell me...? Wait... Mom, did you know who she is? What she did? She told you?"

"She didn't have to tell me. I'm a mother and it's my job to keep track of people that hurt my child,"

"I... She..." Noland said struggling.

"That day at the hospital, I was going to hit her... but you didn't seem to know who she was... and... I don't know. You just seemed really happy with her there and she seemed like a sweet girl. I told her to tell you. I thought you'd take it better the sooner you heard it. Guess I was wrong," Anna explained.

"Mom, she... She did it on purpose..."

"What...? You mean she-"

"I asked her... I asked her if she and her teammates tried to kill us. She said no. I asked her if they hurt us on purpose... and she said yes. She did it on purpose,"

"I doubt that,"

"There's nothing to doubt, mom. She said it herself,"

"Well she lied to you,"

"Why would she lie? Why're you defending her?"

"People lie, sweety, especially to people we like and we don't exactly think of the consequences that pop uo later,"

"But why would she lie? Why would she tell me she did it on purpose if it's a lie?"

"I don't know why she'd do it, but..." Anna sighed, "The last time I told a lie, it was to your father and I told him that I thought it would be a good idea for him to go off and fight..."

"W-wha...? I thought..." Noland said, understanding what his mother had just said.

"I told him to go because I didn't want him to have any regrets but the truth is I wanted him to stay. He had a friend that was fighting and needed help and I wasn't this sick back then... And now..." Anna explained, wiping away the tear that had gathered in her eye.

"Dusk isn't you though," Noland said, "Why would you think-"

"Because she reminded me of that friend of yours. The really quiet one. Cael?"

"She reminds you... of Cael?"

"When you brought your friends up to the hospital to see me that first season, Cael was there, all quiet and shy. But I could tell he was a good boy and I watched those matches of yours and saw you and him watching each other's backs... Dusk, was that her real name? Seeing her and how quiet and shy she was... that just reminded me of him," Anna explained.

"But she isn't Cael and dad could've come back. It's not like he didn't know you were sick and it's not like she didn't know what she was doing..."

"So you are upset with her?"

"I-I-yes? I don't know... I just know... I don't think I can forgive her for what she and her teammates did..." Noland said.

"You don't have to, but you should at least talk to her about it. Be sure before you go burning bridges," Anna advised.

"So what do ya think o' the job?" Lewis asked Alessia, entering the office with a cup of water in his hands.

"Seems simple enough. There's also a bonus if I get there and have the meeting by the end of the week. I was thinking we could use that bonus pay to pay for Nol's mom's hospital care," Alessia said.

"That'd mean ya'd have to go in the next couple o' days, right?" Lewis asked.

"Yeah. I'll probably come back right after though," Alessia said, placing her thumb on the device for her print to be scanned.

"Ya could spend some time over there, finding foreign sponsors for the team," Lewis suggested.

"I could... but I was hoping to join you guys in the training sim..."

"Team's got issues that go beyond what a few trainin' session'll fix. Ya guys need time. Actually, I was thinkin' o' suggestin' ya take Alex, Nol and Cael with ya. A vacation together could be just what ya guys need," Lewis said, taking sips of his water. Alessia furrowed her brow and thought about the suggestion.

"That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea," Alessia said after pondering.

"I'll hold things down here while y'all are out," Lewis said.

"Wait... you aren't coming with us?"

"I'm not the one that needs to learn teamwork. It's y'all out there, not me,"

"Alex isn't piloting either though..."

"He'll be there to make sure ya don't all tear each other's heads off,"

"Actually," Alexander said, entering the room further, "I found something... interesting in the White Wolf. I don't know what it is yet so I was hoping you guys would let me take it apart. It's about an entire month's amount of work though and Dr. Vinheim's coming by in a few days and I wanted him and his team to teach me a few things about the White Wolf, so..."

"Okay..." Lewis said, drawing out the word, "Then y'all'll have to keep ya'selves from rippin' each other's heads off," Lewis joked.


	50. Chapter 16

**Act II**

 **Chapter 16**

 **?**

Week 13 - Day 6

Alessia watched as he sun was setting outside the jet even though it had already set when the jet that she, along with Noland and Cael, had left the airport. Cael was asleep in his chair while Noland stared blankly out the the window. The sound of the jet's engine and the air sliding against the outside of the vehicle were among the only sounds that could be heard from the inside of the jet.

"I'm glad you guys came with me," Alessia said to Noland but he wasn't listening to her. His thoughts were elsewhere. "Nol? Nol...? Nol!"

"What...?" Noland asked, startled by Alessia's loud call.

"I said I'm glad you two came," Alessia repeated.

"Oh. My mom told me to go but, honestly, I-" Noland was interuppted by the pilot coming on the speaker to inform them that they were landing soon.

"We'll have the credits to pay for your mom's hospital care when we finish the job and besides, your mom's pretty tough and this is as close a vacation you'll get until the season's over so enjoy it." Alessia said.

The jet landed and Cael woke up as it touched down. The three of them got their things and Alessia opened the hatch while the down ramp extended to the ground. "What's that smell...?" Alessia asked as she made her way doen the ramp.

Noland followed her down, sniffing the air as he did, trying to figure out what the smell was. Cael was the last to disembark from the jet. He looked around the airstrip and sniffed the air as well as he went down the ramp.

"Smell's familiar," Noland said, "Cael, do you know what that smell is?"

Cael shook his head, "No," and Alessia checked her phone for the time then looked around the airstrip, searching. "The representative should be here to meet us," Alessia thought out loud. Noland and Cael searched the airstrip for the representative not knowing who they were looking for, just that they were representatives.

"Is that them?" Cael asked, pointing to a truck approaching them. The car pulled up and three people exited the vehicle.

"He... is... dead...!" Alessia said, thinking out loud, enraged.

"Alessia!" Alessia's grandmother exclaimed, running up to hug her grand daughter. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

"I thought your grandparents lived in France?" Noland asked.

"They do..." Alessia said annoyed, prying herself away from her grandmother's embrace, "We're leaving..."

"What about the representative we're supposed to meet?" Noland asked, "We need to finish the job for the extra credits,"

"They are the representatives and we've met them," Alessia said, heading back towards the jet.

"Not so fast Alessia Ciara Saint-Claire!" Alessia's grandfather shouted as he approached. Alessia sighed in frustration, turning around to face her grandfather. "We made a deal, a deal that you have yet to deliver on,"

"I already told you. The agreement was that I'd come visit you. I never agreed to let you decide when I visit you...!" Alessia said.

"You agreed to it when you took my money and used it for your little endeavor," Alessia's grandfather said.

"I didn't see that anywhere our contract," Alessia said.

"Then you've learned a life lesson. When someone offers you something and you take it, contract or not, they own you. It's a hidden condition, written in the fine print that you never see," her grandfather explained.

"Can you two stop! We're finally back together and you two talk like you aren't related!" Alessia's grandmother interjected, "Come, come. It's getting late and we're having dinner!"

"Dinner...? Where?" Alessia asked as her grandmother took her arm and pulled her towards the truck.

"We bought a new house. Small thing but it's lovely. You'll love it!" her grandmother said.

"I doubt that..."

"You gentlemen are invited as well you know," Alessia's grandfather said to Noland and Cael as he took Alessia's bags. Noland looked to Cael who shrugged and the two of them followed.

"Who's she?" Alessia asked, reffering to the woman waiting at the truck.

"That's Rita, dear. You haven't been in America long enough to forget Rita have you?" Alessia's grandmother asked.

"It's getting dark out so I can't blame her," Rita said as she took Alessia's bags from Alessia's grandfather. She loaded them in the back of the truck along with Cael and Noland's bags. When everyone was inside, Rita got in the front seat and drove the truck off the airstrip, onto the road.

Later that night, when they had arrived at Alessia's grandparents' new house, Rita showed Alessia, Cael and Noland to their rooms. Alessia got her own room while Noland and Cael shared the guest room where there were two beds. Noland and Alessia took a shower while Cael looked around the house since there were only two bathrooms they could use.

The house, though Alessia's grandmother called it small, was actually quite large. There was a master bedrrom, two smaller bedrooms, a guest bedroom, along with two bathrooms, a master bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, and a deck that overlooked the backyard. The entire house was covered in plants and flowers of all kinds. The different scents made Cael nauseous so he went back inside the house where he passed by the kitchen where Rita was assisting Alessia's grandmother with cooking dinner. Cael went back upstairs where he bumped into Alessia who had just finished showering.

"You can use the shower in my room," she said, "I'm pretty much done in there anyway,"

"This place stinks," Cael said, holding his nose.

"Suck it up," Alessia joked.

Cael went back to the guest room to get a towel and rag, then went to the bathroom in Alessia's room to take his shower. Alessia went to the other bed room where Rita stayed. She looked around the room, looking at the pictures of her and Rita over the years. She picked up one of the framed pictures and held it in her hand, smiling.

"That was the day we went to the park and you ran and ran and ran... Then you fell and cried and cried and cried," Rita said as she entered the room. Alessia surprised, almost dropped the picture but kept her grip, sitting the picture back down on the dresser.

"I remember that, kinda," Alessia said, "I remember you... but... you're not Rita,"

"Aye," the woman laughed as she removed her apron, "She said you were smart but didn't mention you were sharp,"

"You're Rita's sister?" Alessia asked.

"Si. Sofia. We've met a few times before but you were very small. Troublesome nina," the woman said.

"Where's Rita? And why do my grandparents think you're her?"

"She's taking a vacation. I don't think she knew you were coming though. You should hear the way she talks about you. As for your grandparents, I think the old lady might know but this is really the only way Rita gets a vacation. I just take her place for a little while..." Sofia explained. "Now out out out. I need to change and don't tell anyone!"

Alessia left Sofia's room with a smile on her face and went back to her room where she picked out the clothes she's be wearing to dinner. The water stopped running in the bathroom and Cael came out shortly after, shaking.

"You used up all the hot water," he said.

"Cold showers are good for you," Alessia joked, "now out out out. I need to change!"

Later that night, Sofia, Noland, Cael, Alessia and her grandparents sat at the dinner table that was moved into the the living room since there house had no dedicated place for eating. Noland and Cael hadn't expected to be eating dinner with Alessia's grandparents so they didn't have any formal clothes. Noland dressed in jeans and a shirt while Cael wore jeans as well as a dress shirt that appeared to be a formal shirt. Alessia also dressed casually in a longsleeved shirt and shorts while her grandparents wore formal clothing. Her grandfather wore a suit and her grandmother wore a dress. Sofia, wearing Rita's uniform, finished placing the last of the dishes on the round table and sat down next to Cael, smiling at Alessia on the other side of him. Alessia's grandfather sat on the other side of Sofia, across from Alessia and filled his glass with wine.

"Are any of you religious? If so, say so now. Otherwise we'll skip the prayer," Alessia's grandfather said. His question was met with silence. "Very well,"

Everyone began placing food on their plates, passing the food around to the table when they were done. Alessia ate chicken alfredo, Noland did as well. Alessia's grandmother and Sofia ate salads while her grandfather ate steak. Cael ate a bit of everything though he ate slowly compared to the others.

They were quiet as they ate their dinner, the only sounds were the clanging of the cutlery against the dishes and the occassional thump from when they'd lift their glass to drink then sit it back down on the table. The dinner went by without much incident however there was a tension at the table, evidenced by the lack of chatter aside from occassionally asking for a dish to be passed around or bringing up something trivial only for it to be dropped a moment later. When they had finished dinner, Alessia's grandmother and Sofia brought out ice cream and cake for desert.

"I'm actually pretty stuffed," Noland said as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his belly. "Then again... it's not everyday I get to eat this good!"

"Would that have anything to do with your criminal history...?" Alessia's grandfather asked. The question and it's timing stunned everyone.

"Francis! You said you wouldn't bring that up at dinner!" Alessia's grandmother scolded.

"Well we've moved passed dinner now haven't we? Besides, I'm getting tired of the elephants in the room..." Alessia's grandfather said, locking eyes with Alessia.

"And what elephants are those?" Alessia asked, her voice's tone becoming confrontational.

"I've met Mr. North here once before and years have since passed... At what point was I going to be made aware of Mr. North's criminal history? Before or after the next arson?"

"I-" Noland began but Alessia interupted.

"Noland's past is none of your business..." Alessia said, outraged.

"His past was about a month ago and it is my business. It became my business when Lewis decided to put a criminal in close proximity of my granddaughter. It became my business when you asked me to help fund this little project of yours without telling me you still have a criminal on your payroll. It became my business when a deal I was working on in secret was exposed and put on hold due to snooping journalists who began trying to find my connection to a criminal who had recently blown up a rocket factory...!"

Francis' voice was loud with anger and when he realized it, he composed himself. Alessia stood up from the table and left, heading upstairs to her room. A silence took hold at the dinner table and the insects outside could be heard making their noises. "I think the evening's done..." Alessia's grandmother said.

"Indeed..." Alessia's grandfather said as he stood and left the room.

"I'll help with the dishes..." Noland said, "Thank you for the dinner, Mrs. Saint-Claire."

"You're welcome," Alessia's grandmother said, smiling though it was clear she was saddened.

Cael knocked on Alessia's door before entering the already wide open door. Alessia was sitting on the bed facing the door to the balcony. He sat on the floor next to her legs and stared at the stars in the sky that the balcony railing didn't block. The two of them sat there, neither speaking until Alessia finally sighed in frustration.

"I should've never let him help," Alessia said, "I should've known he was only doing it so he could hold it over my head! I didn't need his help in the first place! We would've figured it out on our own...!"

Cael listened as Alessia continued to mumble under her breath, complaining about her grand father and what had just happened. When she had tired herself out, she laid back on the bed and sighed in frustration again. "Trying to tell me about my friends... Noland's not a criminal criminal he's-"

"A criminal...?" Cael asked.

"You know what I mean...! He's not, you know, the bad kind of criminal..."

"Illegal MT fighting and blowing up a rocket storage building... not the bad kinda criminal at all..."

"Shut up...!"

"He's kinda right though..." Cael said, his words causing Alessia to sit up.

"How could you say that?" Alessia asked.

"I'm not saying you should kick Nol off the team but your granddad isn't wrong. Noland is a criminal... Maybe you shouldn't get so mad at him...?" Cael said. Alessia was about to fire back but she stopped when she saw the expression on Cael's face as he stared out the door to the balcony.

"I... I'm such an idiot," she said as she fell back onto her bed, "Here I am complaining about my grandparents... Yeah... maybe you're right... "

"So, you're a bad boy huh?" Sofia asked Noland as he placed the dishes in the dishwasher. The two of them had been getting the dishes ready for the dishwasher. They had cleared the dinner table of everything, stored the uneaten dessert and were almost finshed with the dirty dishes.

"Guess you could say that..." Noland answered.

"What kind of crimes could a guy with one arm commit?"

"Nothing too serious. Most of my record happened before I lost the arm,"

"But you could still blow up a building with one arm?"

"It's not like it was just me..." Noland said, embarassed, "There were... other people there too."

"Yeah, another one of your teammates I hear," Sofia said.

"Yeah... Between you and me, it was more her fault than mine,"

"Not how the news's been telling it," Sofia laughed.

"Yeah," Noland laughed but stopped suddenly, "You keep up with american news...?"

"Uh-" Sofia said before Alessia's grandmother called. She left the kitchen immediately, asking Noland to finish up as she left.


	51. Chapter 17-1

**Act II**

 **Chapter 17-1**

 **?**

Week 13 - Day 7

Lewis entered the empty conference room and took a seat at the table, sitting in the chair closest to the door. He examined the room, noting it's plain appearance and leaned back in his chair, occassionally checking his old world wrist watch. He noticed the digital clock built into the wall and realized his own watch had the wrong time. "Dam' thing's busted again," he said, fiddling with it. It was then that Cunningham entered the room and took a seat at the far end of the table.

"Sorry I'm late," Cunningham said, "Something came up that had to be dealt with. I hope you haven't been waiting for too long,"

"Let's skip the pleasantness," Lewis said flatly but the tone of his voice serious. He lifted his shirt and grabbed the envelope that was taped to his T-shirt, pulling it free. He slid the envelope across the table and Cunningham stopped it with his hand.

"And this is...?" Cunningham asked.

"Me... askin' ya for a favor," Lewis answered. Lewis and Cunningham locked eyes for a moment. Cunningham gave Lewis a look of suspicion before opening the envelope and examining it's contents. Cunningham's face expressed shock, surprise and awe, repeatedly as he examined the contents of the envelope.

"You once asked me to talk straight... Can I ask you to do the same?" Cunningham asked.

"No," Lewis answered.

"What exactly is this favor you're asking me for, Mr. Clark?"

"To look into that," Lewis said, "One of the reasons I wanted Alessia and the others away for a bit, was so I could ask ya to do this for me..."

"Mr. Clark... what you're asking me to do-"

"I'm aware. That's why it ain't on a drive,"

"Why bring this to me? You trust me this much?"

"No... I'm goin' out on a limb. If I'm wrong, I only ask that you leave Alessia and the others out of this... Can I trust ya?"

"I... I honestly don't know," Cunningham said, hesitant to give a quick answer, "Do you have any more copies of these documents?"

"No. Those're it."

"And how did this come into your possession?"

"I know a lot o' people... Some of 'em keep their noses in places they don't belong,"

"It seems you keep like company..." Cunningham said as he placed the papers back into the envelope, "It seems I'm no different... I'll look into this Mr. Clark but tell no one else about this and this meeting never happened,"

""Meetin'? I just came here to tell ya how much I hate ya guts," Lewis said as he stood up and left the room.


	52. Chapter 17-2

**Act II**

 **Chapter 17-2**

 **?**

Week 13 - Day 7

Alessia sat in the back seat of the car next to her grandmother along with her grandfather who sat on the otherside of her grandmother. Cael and Noland were in the car trailing behind them. They had set out that morning from the house and were heading to Madrid.

The trip, which had lasted a few hours, was a quiet one. Alessia's grandmother tried making small talk, pointing out the beautiful scenery along the way but Alessia mostly ignored her. Cael and Noland were in the car with Sofia. Cael slept while Sofia and Noland told jokes which also made their escorts laugh. As they entered the city, Noland nudged Cael awake. He was in awe of the city and so too was Cael when he had woken from his rest.

"Alessia," Alessia's grandfather said, "it's important that you remember that you're here representing The Ark. No matter what happens at the meeting, you must conduct yourself professionally,"

Alessia rolled her eyes and examined the city as they drove deeper into it's center. The streets grew more and more crowded as they approached the downtown area. The architecture changed drastically as they approached the massive buildings built in the heart of Madrid. Among the tall buildings were four skyscrapers built at the four corner of the center of the city where the Spanish had built their memorial park, honoring the men and women who had died in the war almost a century prior.

The crowded streets were filled with people, men, women, and children, all migrating from one point to the next. The cars that were transporting them waded through the masses slowly but steadily as the people seperated to let them pass. Some of the children who were playing ran up to the cars and tapped on the windows then ran away some of them being scolded by their parents.

"This place sure is lively," Noland said as a little boy ran up to the car window and stuck his tongue out, taunting Noland then running away. "Real mature kid," Noland said to himself. They boy came back and stuck his tongue out again, Noland did the same in return.

"Si, real mature Mr. North," Sofia said.

"Well what can I say, I'm a kid at heart," Noland joked.

"You're a kid, period," Sofia mocked, "Right Cael?"

Cael had fallen back asleep, causing Noland and Sofia to laugh. Their laughter was stopped abruptly along with the abrupt stop of the car. The sudden stop woke Cael as it threw him slightly forward. The three of them in the back looked confused, searching for the cause of the stop.

"We shouldn't be stopping here," said the driver, "Why're they stopping?"

"I wonder what's going on..." Alessia's grandmother asked.

"I'll go find out," said one of the escorts in the front seat as he unbuckled himself and exited the vehicle. The escort in the other car saw his fellow escort leaving and got out as well, heading to the driver's window on Alessia's side.

"Change of plans?" the escort asked the driver.

"Nah. There's some commotion up ahead is all. We'll know what's happening soon enough," the driver explained. With that, the escort went back to his car to inform the others but as he made his way back, the ground shook. The escort, along with many of the people around, lost their footing and fell to the ground as the ground shook.

"The hell was that?" Noland asked. He, Cael, and Sofia examined the area, taking in the sight of the spanish people with confused, fearful expressions on their faces. The ground shook again but this time a loud boom could be heard far off in the distance. All of a sudden, the screams of people could be heard, echoing from what Noland thought was every direction.

The peope outside their car began screaming as well, shouting as they began to stampede towards whatever direction they thought was safe. They started bumping up against the car as they fled, shaking and rocking the car, prompting their driver to lock the doors. Another boom came along with the shaking of the earth, the two of which were followed by a loud, deafening siren.

"What's happening?" Alessia asked, looking out the back window towards the car her friends were in. She could barely see into the car through the crowd of fleeing people but she did see the car. Her grandfather was caressing her grandmother who was beginning to panic herself. Their escort had not returned and their driver had locked the car doors as the herd of people ran.

Alessia realized it was useless looking through the back window so she turned her attention to the front window. In the distance, she could see one of the four skyscrapers and the clouds of black smoke billowing forth from high up. Alessia looked through the thinning crowd of people ahead of them and caught a glimpse of a UEN military MT firing it's weapons down the street but there was a building blocking her view so she couldn't make out what it was firing at. There were other UEN vehicles arriving on scene and UEN soldiers guiding the people to safety as well as firing their rifles down the street in the same direction as the MT.

"We need to get out of here," the driver said.

"Those were explosions, probably from bombs. It'd be best if we took shelter," Alessia's grandfather said.

"Bombs?" Alessia asked, startled by her grandfather's words.

"Alright. We'll head to that building over there," the driver said pointing towards the building he was talking about.

"What about the others?" Alessia asked, worried.

"I'm calling them now but we have to move, now," the driver said as he opened the door and pulled his phone from his pocket.

"The others are heading to that building over there," the escort said as he placed his phone back in his pocket and pointed to the building, "Run, don't walk,"

Everyone in the car nodded to signal that they understood then Cael opened his door and got out of the car. Noland was behind him and Sofia exited the car on the other side. Their driver and their escort had begun heading towards the specified building. Noland, Cael, and Sofia were behind them.

The sounds of bullets and explosions from bombs echoed through the air. The screams and cries of people could also be heard as well, more so than the explosions. Cael kept his eye on Alessia and her grandparents who were ahead of them, closer towards the building they were heading to. They arrived at the building where Alessia's grandparents entered but Alessia paused at the entrance then began looking towards the direction of the fighting. Cael also turned his sight to the same direction not seeing anything but seconds later he heard what he assumed was drawing her attention.

Alessia ran, as fast as she could, in the direction of the crying. Her grandparents yelled for her to come back but she continued to run towards the crying. Cael quickly changed direction, following Alessia despite the shouts and calls of the others.

Several loud booms echoed as explosions grew closer and closer. Alessia found the source of the crying, a child, who was sitting next to who Alessia guessed was the boys' mother. Alessia bounded to the boy's side, trying to pick him up but the boy held tightly to his mother's shirt. The thundering boom of another explosion deafened Alessia and knocked her off her feet. The boy crawled closer to his mother, wailing and shaking his mother for her to get up.

"Alessia...!" Cael shouted as a fog of black smoke engulfed Alessia and soon after, him. Another boom, another explosion, and Cael was thrown to the ground. He tried to get up but he had lost feeling in his body. He managed to raise his hand in front of his face and noticed the blood on it. A short distance away, he could see Alessia through the smoke, holding tight onto the boy but screaming inaudible words while looking in Cael's direction.

"Cael... Cael!" Noland shouted as he began to run towards his friend but Sofia, with the driver's help, stopped him, pulling him into the building where the others were waiting. "Let me go...!" he shouted, tears starting to stream from his eyes, "Let me go!"

The others were shouting at him but he wasn't listening. His eyes were fixed on Cael's body as it lie on the ground, lifeless. He tried to wrestle himself away from the driver and Sofia's grasp however, with only one arm he was unable to do so. Another boom, another explosion, the closest of them all, knocked Noland and the others backwards. The building they were in began to shake and crumble. A piece of the ceiling fell and hit Noland on top of the head. Seconds later, though he tried to resist, he could not help but slip into unconsciousness.


	53. Chapter 17-3

**Act II**

 **Chapter 17-3**

 **?**

Week 14 - Day 1

As the sun rose on a new day, the sounds of war could still be heard echoing through the air. Alessia woke, surrounded by rubble, covered in blood, dust, and debris. The boy she had been trying to save seemed to have been unconscious but Alessia could still feel his heart beating. She held him closer, scared that if she let him go something might happen to him and she lifted her head off the hard concrete as she began examining the area as best she could though a headache made it hard for her to understand what she was seeing. Several men, armed and in uniform, were slowly walking through the streets, searching. Alessia quickly put her head down and closed her eyes, pretending to be dead.

"Two over here," a man said. Several men came to his aid as he tried to pick Alessia and the boy up. Alessia sprung to life, kicking and screaming, placing her arm across the boy's chest so they couldn't get to him. The men backed away from her slowly, their hands up.

"Please, calm down. We're here to help you," one of the men said as he placed his rifle on the ground. Alessia examined the man and realized after a few seconds that the man was wearing the UEN military combat uniform. She fell back onto the ground, relieved and, seconds later, unconscious.

When Alessia woke again, she found herself being carried by two soldiers on a stretcher. She looked around and saw the street they were on, littered with debris and equipment that the soldiers were using. She saw bags lined up along the ground, quickly realizing that they were body bags and almost all of them were not empty. One soldier was placing a newly filled bag along with the rest but this bag was smaller than the others. Alessia gasped, trying to sit up but a third soldier had rushed to her side to hold her down on the stretcher.

"There was a boy..." Alessia said, resisting, "I was with a little boy! Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Calm down miss," the soldier told her, "We took him in ahead of you. He's fine,"

Tears began to stream from Alessia's eyes again as she stopped resisting the soldier and lay still on the stretcher. She was brought into the lobby of a building filled with people. Soldiers, doctors and nurses were attending to the injured civilians whom had been rescued from destruction outside.

Once they had found a place for her, the soldiers moved Alessia from a stretcher onto a makeshift bed where a nurse quickly came to examine her. The nurse had Alessia remove her shirt then proceeded to check her for signs of any injuries, finding only light bruising and a few a superficial cuts. Once the nurse was done examining her, Alessia was asked for her name and information along with information on anyone she might have known who might also have been in the city. Alessia gave the woman the names of her grandparents, Sofia, Noland and Cael which the nurse entered into the touchpad device she had with her. After telling her where she could find her friends and family, the nurse released Alessia, pointing her towards where she could get something to eat.

Alessia left the lobby of the building and entered onto the ravaged streets. Dozens of soldiers and paramedics were hard at work assisting injured civilians. Alessia ventured away from them, mesmerized by the aftermath of the attack. Tears began to fall from her eyes yet again and when she felt them glide across her cheeks she quickly touched her face, relieved when she saw that her tears weren't her blood.

The city was in shambles. Several buildings had collapsed, others were missing walls, broken glass lay strewn about mixed with other debris and large chunks of buildings that had fallen were crushing several vehicles. The screams and moans of people could faintly be heard echoing. When Alessia realized what they were, she gasped.

"Alessia...!" Noland's voice called. Alessia turned around to see Noland jogging over towards her.

"Noland...!" she called back. She ran to him and the two of them hugged. Alessia's eyes began to tear up again but this time with tears of joy.

"We thought you were dead...!" Noland said, happy that his friend was alive.

"Were you with my grandparents? Are they okay?" Alessia asked.

"Your grandma's fine but they had to call a doctor for your grandpa. I came to find you when they told us you were alive,"

"What's wrong with my granddad?"

"We don't know. If we hurry back, we might get there when the doctor comes,"

"Take me to them," Alessia said. Noland nodded his head and began to head back to where he, along with Alessia's grandparents, had been treated. He stopped abruptly, causing Alessia to bump into him.

"Where's... Cael?" Noland asked, realizing that Cael wasn't with Alessia.

"He wasn't brought in with me..." Alessia said, "I don't know where he is,"

"He wasn't brought in with us either," Noland said, growing worried with Alessia.

"Take me to my grandparents. We can search for Cael after I make sure they're okay,"

Noland nodded in agreement and and the two of them hustled over towards the building where Alessia's grandparents were. Like the building Alessia was in, the shelter was nothing more than the lobby of a building setup to offer aid to the injured. Noland guided Alessia through the building to her grandparents who were located in the part of the lobby that had been sectioned off for the injured.

"He's been having treatments for his bad heart," Alessia's grandmather said to the doctor as Alessia arrived.

"We may not have the resources to handle this at the moment," the doctor said.

"I'll be fine," Alessia's grandfather said, "this'll pass."

"You said that yesterday before dinner and you-" Alessia's grandfather held his hand up for his wife to be silent when he noticed Alessia listening in.

"Thank you for all your assistance doctor. If we need anything we'll let you or the nurses know," Alessia's grandfather told the doctor. Alessia came closer to her grandparents, taking in what she had just heard.

"Heart problems...? Since when?" Alessia asked.

"It's no big deal," her grandfather dismissed, waving his hand.

"It started a year before your accident," her grandmother said.

"That long...? And you didn't tell me?" Alessia asked.

"It wasn't a big deal and still isn't," her grandfather said, continuing to waive the situation. Alessia shook her head subtely, part disappointed, part sad, and part angry.

"Did you find your friend?" Alessia's grandmother asked Noland.

"Not yet," Noland told her.

"Let's go..." Alessia said as she stormed off. She and Noland found a nurse who directed them to where they could find out what happened to Cael.

Several tents had been set up down the street from where the shelters were. Soldiers, paramedics and volunteers were using the tents as information hubs, doing their best to gather information on the situation. The nurse they had spoken to told Alessia and Noland that the blue tent three was the place they could get the information on Cael's location.

They found the tent and waited in a lengthy line of people until it was their turn. They told the volunteer Cael's name, Cael Nox, and waited as the man quickly searched the computer database for information. They found out that Cael was checked into the same shelter as Alessia but after his examination he was rushed to the nearest functioning hospital for surgery. He had suffered several cuts that would need stitching and had already lost a considerable amount of blood. Relieved that Cael was alive, Alessia and Noland thanked the man and headed back to the shelter.

"Wait a sec," Alessia said, going back to the shelter she had initially been brought to. Noland followed, confused as to what Alessia was up to. Alessia found the nurse who had examined her and questioned the whereabouts of the boy whom was with her when she was rescued. The nurse pointed her in the direction of the part of the lobby where hundreds of people were reuniting with their families and Alessia spotted the boy from across the lobby.

Like almost all of the other children there, the boy was crying rivers of tears. There were people with him, trying to talk to him but the boy seemed not to be listening. Without realizing she had, Alessia had drawn closer to the scene. When the boy spotted her, he quickly ran to her side and hugged her legs tightly. The people who were with him looked surprised and worried as they approached Alessia.

"I'm his aunt but," one of the women said, her voice shaky, "but he hasn't seen me in years,"

"I'm his uncle," said the man, "and this is my wife. Are you a friend of his mother's?"

"N-n-no..." Alessia said, rubbing the boys head, "I... his mother was..."

The boy's family saw how Alessia was struggling to tell them about what happened to the boy's mother. They hugged and thanked her, explaining how one of the nurses had already told them about the young woman, Alessia, who had been protecting the child when he was found. Alessia gave the family her contact information and they gave her theirs. She reassusred the boy, telling him him everything would be okay before his family took him away from the shelter, away from the place where his mother had died.


	54. Chapter 18-1

**Act II**

 **Chapter 18-1**

 **?**

Week 14 - Day 2

Cael sat on the side of his bed, sore all over his body, as the doctor examined him. He had received stitches in several places including his head. The doctor made jokes about how Cael could be the modern day Frankenstein if he was uglier and had green skin. Cael didn't laugh. Once the doctor was finished checking Cael's stitches and bandages, he told Cael's visitors that it was okay to see their friend. Alessia and Noland thanked the doctor and immediately rushed to Cael's side, taking turns hugging him.

"Thought you were dead for a sec' there," Noland said, half joking, half serious.

"You idiot, what were you thinking?" Alessia asked.

"What were you...?" Cael rebutted. Reunited, the three of them enjoyed their reunion silently, taking the moment to let the fact they had cheated death sink in.

"Some vacation this turned out to be..." Noland said.

"Has anyone called Lewis or Alex and told them what happened?" Cael asked.

"We tried this morning but Lewis didn't answer and Alex never answers," Alessia told him.

"And Lewis doesn't keep a house phone apparently," Noland added. "Think they know what happened?"

"It's been all over the news networks. Hard to think they don't know by now," Alessia said.

"My mom's gonna be worried to death..." Noland sighed.

"I'm gonna go see my grandparents. My grandfather was moved here this morning, to the next floor," Alessia said, "I'll be back,"

Alessia hugged Noland and then Cael before leaving Cael's hospital room. Noland stayed, taking the chair near the door and placing it closer to Cael's bed where he sat. Cael grabbed the remote to the television and turned it on. The TV channel was already on the local news channel, covering the damage that was done to the city.

"You okay...?" Cael asked as they watched the the news coverage.

"To be honest... no," Noland said as he looked down at his shaking hand. Cael noticed and saw it too. "Hasn't stopped shaking since... Didn't notice it 'til last night. There's a twitch in my left leg too..."

"Is Alessia..."

"Nah, she's fine. On the outside at least... She's been crying a lot though... Weird as hell to see her cry. Almost unreal... then again, none of this does. Feel real I mean."

"You've gotta be kidding me," Alessia said angrily, her voice hushed.

"It's not safe here, Alessia," her grandfather pleaded, "You and your friends need to go back to America where it's safe,"

"I intended to have them go back without you telling me but I'm not leaving you two here like this,"

"I told you I'm fine, Alessia,"

"Yeah and you tend to lie to me a lot about things that matter. You say you're fine but the doctor says otherwise,"

"You don't need to worry about us. Rita will still be here to keep an eye on us,"

"And so will I,"

Alessia and her grandfather locked gazes, neither willing to comply with the other's request. "Why do you do this," her grandfather asked, sighing, "Why do we do this? Why are we always butting heads?"

"Because you don't treat me like an adult. Because you always think you know what's best for me, when it was Rita and Lewis who raised me after my mom and dad died. Because you have the nerve to criticize my friends and their pasts and tell me what kind of people I should surround myself with... What? My friends aren't assholes so I should just ditch them?"

"Alessia, I-"

"Just... just drop it," Alessia said, "I'm... sorry. Didn't mean to get so upset..."

"Yes you did, and it's okay, Alessia. I can take it," her grandfather said.

"Why are you trying to push me away, now of all times?"

"I'm not trying to push you away, Alessia... I... Alessia, you've made a commitment to your team, haven't you? You need to keep that commitment, even now."

"I'm sure people will understand if I take some time to look after my grandparents who almost died,"

"That's not the-" her grandfather said but a knock on the door interrupted him. The doctor eased in, cracking the door and leaning his head into the room.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to interrupt," the doctor said. Alessia and her grandfather nodded.

"Alessia," Alessia's grandfather said as Alessia headed towards the door, "please. At least consider..."

"I will," Alessia sighed, leaving the room.

"Reports are saying that the target of the attack was the Madrid Subtower. The Madrid Subtower receives power from both the Africa and Europa Towers and distributes it throughout the city and the surrounding areas. The spanish government has identified the attackers as ARM, the Anatolia Resistance Movement. This attack comes during the talks between Spain and the UEN as they negotiate Spain's entry into the UEN. ARM is known to have been responsible for several other terrorist attacks against the UEN and it's allies and it's assumed that the attack yesterday was an attempt to destabilize Madrid to hault Spain's entry. The president had this to say at the press conference just hours ago," the reporter said as they cut to a clip of the Spanish president. Cael and Noland listened, Alessia as well as she quietly slipped into the room. The president spoke the native language while the news network had a translator speak over him to their viewers.

"These attacks on the civilian populace, committed by cowards, are nothing but an attempt to make us afraid of joining our allies who are apart of the UEN," the translator said, "But we will not be afraid... and this attack on us has done nothing but reinforce the need for us to have solidarity on an international level with our allies across the world. Today we mourn for those whom we've lost... the men, women, and children... In the coming weeks, we celebrate. We'll laugh in the faces of these terrorists... letting them know that despite their best efforts, we perservere and carry on... and after we have joined our allies in the UEN, we will be fully committed to offering our assistance in the global fight against these terrorists and their fellow cowards-"

The news network cut back to the anchors and soon after went to a commercial break. Noland and Cael noticed Alessia, still standing at the door, who had entered quietly. When she noticed that she had been noticed, she grabbed a chair that sat next to the door and pulled it up next to Noland's before dropping herself into it.

The three of them sat watching the television and the commercials. A long stream of names glided across the bottom of the television screen beneath a message that let viewers know the names they were seeing were the names of those confirmed to have died in the attack. Cael noticed that the seemingly neverending stream of names was disheartening his friends, he turned the television off and the three of them sat silently staring at a black television screen.

"Noland and I were cleared to leave this morning," Alessia said to Cael, "and the doctor says you could go home as early as tomorrow,"

"Yeah, to make sure the stitches hold," Cael said.

"Whenever you're cleared to leave... we're going home," Alessia said.

"Worst... vacation... ever..." Noland joked half-heartedly.


	55. Chapter 18-2

**Act II**

 **Chapter 18-2**

 **?**

Week 14 - Day 3

The airport terminal was in disarray as more and more people arrived at the airport. They were trying to get to their loved ones in Spain. People scurried about this way and that as they restlessly waited for their planes to arrive. Several flights had been delayed and several others were simply late.

While the crowds of people waited, many of them congregated around the large television monitors that displayed various news networks that were covering the attack. One network began to display, in full screen, the names of all the confirmed dead. People could be heard crying, shouting and wailing as they learned that their loved ones had in fact died during the attack. Anna sat restlessly on one of the benches in the terminal, shaking as she heard the saddened cries of those who knew their family and friends had perished. Lewis arrived, sitting next to Anna and giving her one of the bottles of water he had brought back with him.

"Ya sure ya alright?" Lewis asked, "There ain't no reason for ya to come. An' in ya condition, I still think ya shouldn't be doin' this,"

"He's my son...! It doesn't matter how ill I am or how what condition I'm in. I'm not waiting around to hear that he's alive, or dead," Anna said, immediately breaking into a coughing fit.

"Well actually ya are. Our flight's one of the ones that's been delayed again," Lewis joked, "All we can do is wait for now."

Alexander arrived at that moment looking tired and weary. Anna and Lewis looked at him in anticipation of what he was going to say. Alexander sat down on the bench next to Lewis and slouched, exhausted. "There names weren't on the list. I checked, and double checked and triple checked but I didn't see their names," Alexander said.

"Ya hear that? I'm sure they're fine," Lewis said, trying to calm the restless Anna.

"That's the good news," Alexander continued, "The bad news is that new reports keep coming in with dozens of new names. The second time I looked over the list, it had almost doubled in size... Might be that they just haven't been confirmed-"

Lewis hit Alexander with his elbow to interrupt what Alexander was about to say. Alexander realized that what he was going to say probably was not what Noland's sick mother needed to hear at the moment and gave Lewis an apologetic look. More cries of anguish and despair echoed throughout the terminal as more people learned of their loved ones deaths. Alexander, Lewis and Anna listened on as they waited for their plane to arrive.

The three of them waited hours for their plane to arrive. A woman spoke on the intercom, informing the waiting people of the status of their flights. The woman named the flights that would be delayed even further and gave brief, one or two word explanations as to why. Alexander kept an eye on his phone as he listened to the woman, listening for the status of their flight. The woman stopped speaking, not saying anything about their flight so Alexander put his phone away as Lewis turned to him.

"She didn't say nothing about ours so I guess it's still on schedule," Alexander said.

A woman, a different woman, came onto the intercom announcing the flights that had just arrived. She listed several of them, including Alexander's flight. "That's us," Alexander informed Lewis.

The woman continued, informing the people in the terminal that the plane had to be unloaded and recharged before they would begin loading passengers. Lewis and Alexander took the time to make sure they had all their things together for when their flight began loading. Lewis saw that Anna's expression had become that of someone who had seen a ghost. He followed her gaze to Noland who was limping slightly as he and Alessia helped Cael walk.

"Noland..." Anna said, her voice low as if scared. "Noland...!" she shouted, leaping onto her feet and running over towards her son.

"Mom...?" Noland said, surprised. He quickly ran to his mother's arms, hugging her tight as she hugged him.

"I thought you-" Anna said, her voice cracking as she cried.

"What're you doing here? You should be in bed!" Noland said as he shed tears of his own.

Lewis and Alexander jogged over, stopping just a little ways away to let the family of two enjoy their reunion. Alessia and Cael arrived shortly after, grinning at the sight. Lewis and Alexander went over to them, examining the two.

"You guys alright?" Alexander asked.

"Depends on the definition," Cael said, leaning on Alessia.

"We were in the heart of it but we lived," Alessia explained, "We were some of the lucky ones..."

"Knew ya'd be fine," Lewis said, quickly hugging Alessia tight. He was about to do the same to Cael but Cael, with Alessia's help, held him at bay.

"Cael had to have stitches in like, eight different places. You probably shouldn't hug him unless you're trying to kill him," Alessia explained sarcastically.

"Ya always was a tough bastard," Lewis joked.

"We tried calling you but this idiot doesn't answer his phone or check his messages..." Alessia said, glaring at Alexander.

"Sorry," Alexander said hugging Alessia, "Didn't think you were alive for a bit there... Excuse me if I don't think dead people use phones,"

"How's Anna," Alessia asked.

"She's still sick but she insisted on comin' too. Tough as nails, she is. Stubborn. It's a miracle Noland didn't get that from her," Lewis joked.

"What are you doin' here?" Cael asked, "If you didn't know we were coming..."

"We found out yesterday about the attack and booked the earliest flight we could," Alexander explained, "Lot o' people from here lost family an' friends in that attack apparently. Flights filled up quick an' a lot o' flights got delayed for one reason or another. Ours was one that got delayed,"

"Ya weren't answerin' ya phones so we assumed..." Lewis said grimly, "We weren't waitin' 'round to here from some list that ya were dead,"

"Still ended up waiting," Alexander joked.

The group of six gathered together, relieved and happy that they were all alive. The happiness felt in that moment was brief. Nearby, a woman had broken into tears, falling to the floor on her knees as she cried and screamed, shouting while asking, "Where is my son?"

"We were some of the lucky ones..." Alessia said.


	56. Chapter 18-3

**Act II**

 **Chapter 18-3**

 **?**

Week 14 - Day 5

"Ya sure about this?" Lewis asked Alessia as he parked the car.

"You once told Noland that we were all dedicated to this. For me, that hasn't changed," Alessia answered.

"No one's questionin' ya dedication but ya were almost killed just a few days ago, Alessia. We still have a lot o' time 'fore we got to fight again. No one'd blame any o' ya for takin' a breather," Lewis said.

"We can't afford a breather..." Alessia sighed as she opened the car door. "Don't tell the others about the other thing, okay?"

"Keepin' secrets?"

"Not really a secret. I just want them to hear it from me,"

"Then my mouth's shut, until ya throw out my beer again,"

Alessia smiled a coy smile as she got out of the car and+ entered the building. She made her way to through the building to the second floor where she was greeted by Eliza. Eliza hugged her tightly around the neck, rocking her back and forth. "I thought you were dead," Eliza exclaimed.

"Almost, not quite," Alessia joked.

"Are the others okay? I heard Cael and Noland went with you? Is Cael-"

"They're fine. Cael's fine. Banged up a little, but they're fine,"

"Mr. Cunningham's waiting for you now. You're almost late," Eliza said, pulling Alessia along. Eliza guided Alessia to Cunningham's personal office where he was waiting. She knocked on the door and could see that Cunningham was on the phone through the window. He held a hand up, signaling for Eliza to wait while he finished the call. A few moments later, he hung up the phone and waved the two of them in.

"Thank you Ms. Day. Your father wanted me to tell you that he wouldn't be home for another day or so. The situation in Spain..." Cunningham said.

"It's fine, I got his message this morning," Eliza said.

"He hasn't had the time to call you but he says he should be able to around three or four in our time, so keep your phone close," Cunningham said.

"Right! Is there anything else?"

"The new parts came in. Sign off on them and take them back to the hangar,"

"Yes sir," Eliza said enthusiastically as she left. When she was gone, Cunningham gestured for Alessia to sit in one of the two chairs at his desk. Alessia did so and cleared her throat.

"Mr. Cunningham," Alessia said.

"Ms. Saint Claire, Cunninghamd replied. "I'd like to start off with my apologies. I had no idea that you and your friends would get caught up in such a mess. When I heard about the attack, I had one of our partners based there go to the building where the meeting was to take place and had them look for you. When they couldn't find you..."

"It's okay, Mr. Cunningham. I don't blame you for what happened. Though tricking me to get me to see my grandparents... we'll have words on that later," Alessia said, grinning.

"If not to yell at me for my deception, what brings you here?"

"Three things. First and foremost is the arrangement for Noland's mother's care,"

"Already covered. All you need do is take her to Central, give them her information and this card," Cunningham said as he took a card from out of his desk and gave it to Alessia, "The rest should be handled,"

"Thank you," Alessia said, taking the card. "The second thing is, the status of support for the team. We've been in a lot of trouble recently and Black Raven is still in dire need of financial support. The loser's finals is a battle royale being held at the arena in France. We need funds to book hangar space for the ACs and to ship them over and bring them back."

"Quite the dire situation indeed but I'm afraid we can't support you financially. To do that, we would have to draw support from the New Suns and that, we just cannot do."

"I figured that, which bring me to the third thing... Where the support will come from..."

"They took pretty heavy damage from the Dread Scythe fight," Alexander said to Noland, refering to the Black Raven ACs that had taken a beating from the team's previous match. "The Blackbird's core is unique and it's not easy to replace but with all the spare parts coming in from The Ark, we should be able to rebuild it. The White Wolf on the other hand... We could never repair it in the first place, not without Dr. Vinheim's help,"

"Will they be running by our next fight?" Noland asked.

"I honestly couldn't say. Doesn't help that some of the crew walked out,"

"Sorry about that..."

"I don't blame you... Maybe a little," Alexander said with a grin. "Mind handin' me that wrench?"

"Yeah," Noland said, grabbing the wrench next to him. He tried giving it to Alexander but dropped it before Alexander had a grip on it. "Sorry. Hand's been shaky ever since... Sometime's it's unnoticeable but others... You know how it is."

"Yeah," Alexander said, looking at his friend struggle to pick up the wrench. Noland took a deep breathe and steadied his hand, picking up the wrench. He gave it to Alexander who took it and went back to working on the part he was fixing. "So you plan on piloting with a shaky hand?"

"Ha... yeah," Noland grinned, "It's gonna be a real pain but Lewis already gave me a "Dedication" speech... and he was kinda right. I gotta do my part in all this... even now,"

"Hey," Cael said as he approached the two, "Lewis and Alessia are back. Let's go,"

"See ya later Alex," Noland said as he left with Cael. Alessia came to see him shortly after Cael and Noland left. She placed a sheet by his feet that he picked up when he noticed.

"Parts are coming in. Should be here tomorrow," Alessia said, "I'm gonna call Dr. Vinheim to see what he plans on doing about the White Wolf,"

"With this I can patch up the Black Wolf," Alexander said as he read through the list, "but the Blackbird is another story... You know how different it's Core is because of it's-"

"I know," Alessia interrupted, "but it needs to be ready for our next match. Do what you can for it... even if that means it loses some functionality,"

"If you say so," Alexander said in compliance.

"What is that...?" Alessia asked as she turned to leave, pointing to the part Alexander had been working on.

"It's what I found in the White Wolf when we were examining the damage. I... I'm not really sure what it is," Alexander asked.

"Why're you tinkering with it then? Don't break it and leave it for Dr. Vinheim to fix," Alessia scolded. She left Alexander to his work and headed upstairs to the hangar office. Alexander finished tinkering with the part from the White Wolf and placed it in a box, setting it aside. He grabbed his gloves and headed to the Black Wolf where some of the other workers were working to fix the Black Wolf.

Later that night, when all the workers had gone home, Alexander finished putting away the last of the tools the crew had been using when he noticed the lights were still on in the office. He went up the stairs to the catwalk, making his way to the office, knocking on the door before entering. He was surprised to see Alessia still there, watching recordings of an AC match. "You still here?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered, pausing the recording.

"You know it's dark out, right? I was about to close up,"

"I know. Go ahead. I'm pulling an all nighter. There's a lot of things that need to get done,"

"Want me to go get you something to eat?"

"I'm fine. Dr. Vinheim says he'll be in tomorrow with some spare parts for the White Wolf,"

"Then it's just the Blackbird we gotta worry about... Well, I'll see you tomorrow,"

Alexander arrived back at the Line, entering through the side door after he saw that the main doors were locked. He made his way up to his apartment where he found Joe, asleep at the kitchen table that was covered in food. He moved quietly, shaking Joe awake. Joe, startled, jumped awake to see Alexander standing over him. "Alex," he said, "Ah dam'. Guess I fell asleep,"

"What're you doin' here this late?" Alexander asked, looking through the bags. The food hadn't been touched.

"Well I thought I'd surprise ya but ya never showed up,"

"Sorry. We were doin' a lotta work over at the hangar. The ACs were all pretty banged up from the team's last match,"

"Ah, it's fine. I ain't get nothin' fancy no how. Nothin' we can't put in the microwave,"

Joe and Alexander heated their food in the microwave then ate it at the table. While they were eating, Joe asked about the team and what was going on in Alexander's life. Alexander answered but Joe noticed the distance in Alexander's voice. He ignored it, instead trying to talk about things at the Line but whenever Alexander spoke he still seemed distant.

"What's goin' on Alex?" Joe asked.

"Nothin', I was just," Alexander said hesitantly.

"Alex... talk to me,"

"I-it's nothin',"

"I've known ya since ya were shittin' your diapers. I know when somethin's botherin' ya,"

"It's just... Noland," Alexander mumbled.

"That teammate of yours? What of him?"

"I told ya he was caught up in a terrorist attack... and him and Cael and Alessia are back to work already,"

"Sounds like a sturdy group of friends ya keep,"

"Noland's hand was shaking..." Alexander said, looking at his own hand shaking atop the table.

"Like you...?"

"Yeah... Just like me. He could barely hold a wrench it was shaking so bad... but..."

"But..."

"He still plans on piloting,"

"And?"

"And... I feel like a coward. He lost an arm and keeps piloting. He almost died... and he keeps piloting,"

"Alex..." Joe sighed, taking his time to gather his words, "You're not a coward for not wanting to risk your life in giant robot death battles,"

"But I feel that way... and the worse part is... that's not even the part that's getting to me..."

"Then what is?"

"I feel... like I'm letting my team down... like I'm letting my friends down..."

"Then here's some advice from an old man... Don't..."


	57. Chapter 19-1

**Act III**

 **Chapter 19-1**

 **?**

Week 18 - Day 2

Loser's Round One

Black Raven vs Divine

"Glad to have ya back," Noland said to Alexander over the video call.

"I'm a bit scared to be honest," Alexander said.

"We got your back. Don't worry," Noland said confidently.

"Is that suppose to make me feel better?" Alexander asked sarcastically.

"Have ya thanked Alessia yet?" Lewis asked.

"Thanks Alessia," Alexander said.

"It was a last minute add on to the month's shipment so I couldn't get the everything. Don't waste your shots," Alessia advised.

Alexander checked the systems of his AC, Hawk, one last time before the team moved their ACs into the tunnel that lead to the arena city. The two medium bipedal ACs, the White Wolf and the Black Wolf, entered first. The quadraped AC, the Blackbird, was behind them and behind it was the lightweight reverse jointed AC, the Hawk. The tunnel darkened as the countdown began then, seconds later, the gate flew open as the countdown ended and the two teams' ACs rushed into the arena.

"We spent four weeks preparin' for this..." Lewis said to the pilots through an audio call, "But all that means nothin' if ya can't work together as a team... Stick to the plan... Alessia, you an' Alex only trained in the simulator for two weeks, ya sure ya up for this?"

"I'm sure," Alessia said.

"Alex, ya been out o' practice for far longer than the others. Don't push ya'self," Lewis said.

"I know," Alexander replied.

"Jacob and the Heaven's Ray will try to keep us distracted so Cael will deal with him while Alex and I go after John and the Heaven's Lightning," Alessia explained.

"That just leaves Joseph and the Heaven's Thunder to me," Noland said.

"Let's split up, don't stay still and keep an eye on the timer," Alessia said.

The White Wolf proceeded to go straight into the downtown area of the city while the Black Wolf went off to the right side of the city towards the floodway. The Blackbird and Hawk went to left side, getting onto the highway at the first entrance they came across. The first few minutes of the fight were quiet and uneventful as both teams cautiously searched for one another. Five minutes into the fight, the White Wolf and the the Heaven's Ray crossed one another, immediately opening fire.

The Heaven's Ray was a heavy weight bipedal armed with claymores on the shoulders, gatling guns built into the arms, and two high powered auxillary boosters that allowed the AC to move at speeds rivaling that of a light weight bipedal. Like most other heavy weight ACs, the cockpit was built in the center of the Core to avoid throwing off the AC's balance but unlike most other heavy weight ACs, a forward facing shield was attached to it, adding even more protection. The Heaven's Ray charged at the White Wolf, closing in at high speed while firing it's gatling guns. Cael blocked the attacks with the White Wolf's shields, moving his AC out of the way just as the Heaven's Ray rushed by.

"There!" Alessia said after hearing a loud boom and seeing a streak of white smoke fly into the air, "Joseph just fired Heaven's Thunder cannon!"

"I see it," Noland said as he drove the Black Wolf towards the source of the cannon shot.

Cael grunted as an artillery shell shook the ground behind him after hitting the ground with a thunderous boom. Shrapnel from the shell flew from the impact, hitting the back of the White Wolf's cockpit. An alarm along with an on screen damage report showed Cael that the White Wolf's cockpit was in danger of being compromised. Cael ignored it and kept his eyes on the Heaven's Ray as it approached him again.

"Cael..." Lewis warned.

"I know," Cael said as he holstered one of the White Wolf's machine guns and drew a shotgun, "He can only move in a straight line...!"

The White Wolf shielded itself from the Heaven's Ray's gatling gun barrage and dodged the AC as it dashed by. The moment the Heaven's Ray had passed, the White Wolf whipped around and fired it's shotgun at the Heaven's Ray's back. To Cael's surprise, the Heaven's Ray had fired at the buildings as it passed by, causing them to crumble. The debris had fallen to the road and blocked Cael's shot, defending the Heaven's Ray from damage.

"Found him, but he's staying on the move," Noland reported as he approached the fleeing tank AC. The Heaven's Thunder was an AC that specialized in artillery fire. Two long ranged cannons sat atop it's shoulders and two large shields were built into the back of it's tank legs.

Noland fired the Black Wolf's machine gun at the Heaven's Thunder but with the tank AC's back to him, his shots only hit the shields. The Black Wolf accelerated, it's shield raised and it's machine gun ready, as Noland pushed down on the pedals. He was attempting to overtake the tank AC but as he made his way to Heaven's Thunder's right flank, the Core of the tank AC turned towards him, firing the two grenade cannons that were hidden in it's arm's elbows.

Noland hit the brakes, trying to avoid the grenades while rubble from buildings scattered across the road after the buildings were hit by the grenades. Inside the Black Wolf, alarms sounded as the on screen damage report let Noland know that the Black Wolf's shield had been compromised. Noland silenced the alarms and continued his pursuit of Heaven's Thunder but by the time he was back on it's heels, it had fired another shot from it's artillery cannons.

"Cael...!" Noland shouted, warning his teammate.

"I heard...!" Cael grunted as the White Wolf narrowly dodged the rushing Heaven's Ray as it charged by, ripping off one of the White Wolf's shields. Cael quickly drove the White Wolf through a wall, taking cover as the artillery shell impacted the street just outside the building.

"Nol, ya have to take Joseph out," Lewis said.

"I'm working on it," Noland said.

"Alessia, have ya found John yet?" Lewis asked.

"We're looking but he hasn't fired a single missile yet," Alessia answered, "He's hiding,"

"No doubt waitin' for an opportunity..." Lewis thought aloud.

"We should split up," Alexander suggested.

"That could be what he's waitin' for..." Lewis warned.

"I'm with Alex. If it takes too long to find him, he might get a chance to take Cael out," Alessia said.

"Okay, but don't stray too far from one another or the plan'll fall to pieces," Lewis warned. Alessia continued driving the Blackbird on the highway as Alexander took the Hawk and jumped onto a nearby roof. The two contiued their search for Heaven's Lightning while their teammates continued engaging their other two opponents.

The Black Wolf kept it's distance as it exchange fire with the Heaven's Thunder while they made their way down parallel streets. Noland dodged several grenades, returning fire with his machinegun and firing the Black Wolf's rifle whenever he had the chance. The two AC's approached an intersection where their two roads would join and seeing this, Noland rushed forward. He overtook Heaven's Thunder and arrived at the intersection first, preparing for a frontal assault on his opponent. As Noland took aim at the Heaven's Thunder, while it's Core was still turning to face forward, a flash of light caused the Black Wolf's screens to turn white.

"It came from over there!" Alessia said when she had spotted Heaven's Thunder sitting in the top floor of a building. She quickly marked the building and began to take the highway that lead towards it.

"On my way," Alexander said as he had the Hawk leap from rooftop to rooftop.

Noland groaned as the Black Wolf crashed into a nearby building. It had been heavily damaged by Heaven's Thunder's grenade cannons while Noland was unable to see. Noland quickly checked his AC's status. The Black Wolf's Core was in danger of being compromised, the left arm had been blown off, and the right leg along with the right arm had been smashed.

"Can ya continue?" Lewis asked.

"Let me check," Noland said. He had the Black Wolf turn it's head and move forward in a short burst. "He can move..." Noland said.

"Think ya can get to the gate?" Lewis asked.

"I'll try," Noland said.

The Hawk-Eye and Blackbird arrived at the building where Heaven's Lightning was hiding in. The two of them were on the highway just in front of it. Alexander had the Hawk jump up into the hole that Heaven's Lightning had fired from. He landed inside where his opponent waited and quickly took aim with the Hawk's sniper rifle. The Heaven's Lightning was a tank AC equipped with missile launchers on it's back, shoulders and built into the tank legs. It also had a double barreled gatling gun built into it's arm and rocket launcher in the other's hand.

Heaven's Lightning didn't try to move, instead it simply sat still. As the Hawk fired, an explosion caused the floor to collapse which caused both ACs to begin falling through the building and Alexander to miss his shot. Alexander gasped seeing that the building was almost entirely hollowed out and that it would be a crippling fall. Alexander, his hands shaking uncontrollably, managed to switch to and fire the grappling hooks attached to either side of the Hawk's legs. The hooks pierced through a wall, securing themselves and slowing the Hawk's fall. Heaven's Lightning fell straight to the bottom, landing with a boom and shaking the building.

"He's getting away!" Alexander said.

"I'm on him!" Alessia said.

As Heaven's Lightning exited the building and fled, the Blackbird skid to a stop on the overlooking highway. Alessia fired the Blackbird's rifle and several missiles at her fleeing quarry. To her surprise, the Core of the AC quickly turned towards her, unleashing a volley of missiles and rockets as it did. Alessia raised the Blackbird's shield as she tried avoiding the attacks but the Blackbird was too slow. The highway beneath the Blackbird collapsed, dropping the Blackbird down onto the street below.

Alexander released the Hawk-Eye's grappling hooks and landed on the floor. He sped his AC out of the building and quickly took aim at the fleeing Heaven's Lightning that was down the street from him. Alexander fired a shot that hit the Heaven's Lightning's head but was immediately met with a barrage of missiles. Alexander dodged the attack by quickly backing the Hawk away.

"He's getting away," Alexander pointed out.

"We have to stay on him," Alessia said as she drove the Blackbird forward, "Cael, just hang in there,"

"Easier said," Cael grumbled as another artillery round hit the ground down the road from where the White Wolf had dodged another charge from the Heaven's Ray. Cael looked at the timer counting down with only a minute left.

"I'm almost outside the city," Noland reported.

"Alright, I'll have someone bring the truck out to ya," Lewis said.

The White Wolf fired it's shotgun as it moved out of Heaven's Ray's path, this time pursuing the AC. Cael took a quick glance at the timer that still had thirty seconds on it, then he looked to the one that kept track of the time left in the match and saw that there were only ten minutes left in the match. He took aim at the his fleeing opponent but noticed when a hidden compartment on the auxillary boosters opened.

Cael had the White Wolf evade the volley of missiles as they sped towards him, exploding and destroying the road. Cael retaliated by firing his shotgun but Heaven's Ray had gotten out of range. He continued his pursuit, chasing Heaven's Ray out of the city but was forced to stop when an artillery shell impacted a few yards in front of the White Wolf.

The damaged Black Wolf was loaded into the container of the AC maintenance truck. Noland got out of the cockpit when the Black Wolf was secure and several of the crew members went to work on replacing the Black Wolf's damaged parts.

"How long?" Noland asked one of the crew members as he climbed out of the cockpit.

"Five minutes," the crew member answered. There was a small computer near the back of the container and Noland, after grabbing a bottle of water, went there so he could use it to talk to Lewis.

"How're the others?" Noland asked.

"Alex an' Alessia are chasin' John, an' Joseph intercepted Cael so those two're facin' off," Lewis reported.

"Alessia predicted things would turn out this way..." Noland said.

"Yeah, but we're still cuttin' it close here,"

"Four minutes to recharge the Heaven's Ray's auxillary boosters,"

"Givin' Cael four minutes to take out Heaven's Thunder,"

"And me time to get the Black Wolf patched up..."

The Hawk jumped up into the air, dodging the rockets that Heaven's Lightning had fired at it, then fired it's sniper rifle as it fell back to the ground. The Blackbird drifted around the corner of a building, flanking Heaven's Lightning, but the tank AC plowed through a building, taking cover from Alessia's attacks. Alessia attempted to pursue but a volley of missiles flew out of the building through the hole in the wall that the Heaven's Lightning had created. She dodged the attacks, firing the Blackbird's rifle through the wall in an attempt to land a few hits.

Cael had found Heaven's Thunder and quickly rushed the tank AC. It attempted to keep the White Wolf at bay, firing it's grenade cannons as it fled. The White Wolf dodged several attacks but repeated attacks caught Cael off guard.

The White Wolf blocked the incoming grenade with it's remaining shield, the attack destroying the shield and ripping the right arm off. Cael didn't stop his charge, he drew one of the White Wolf's swords and drove straight into the Heaven's Thunder. The tank AC fired another grenade, this time blowing off the White Wolf's leg but it was too late. Cael had gotten close enough to the tank AC that it wouldn't be able to target him and the White Wolf had built up speed. The White Wolf drove it's sword straight through the Heaven's Thunder's Core, disabling it immediately.

Noland climbed back into the cockpit of the Black Wolf. It had a new leg and a new arm, though the parts had not been tuned. Noland turned the AC back on and confirmed that it had recognized the replacement parts. "Alright," Noland said, "I'm heading back in,"

"Hurry," Lewis said, "Heaven's Ray's probably headin' for Cael right now,"

The White Wolf was pelted by the bullets from the Heaven's Ray's gatling gun. Several bullets hit the White Wolf's remaining knee joint and the already crippled AC, fell backwards, crashing into a building. The Heaven's Ray flew past the White Wolf, just barely avoiding crashing into the building and the White Wolf. The heavyweight bipedal began slowly circling the area, preparing to make another pass. Cael worked the White Wolf's controls furiously, trying to move the White Wolf's remaining arm and he could see the Heaven's Ray down the road, now making a beeline towards the White Wolf as it sat on it's throne of rubble.

"Nolaaaaaaaand...!" Cael yelled.

The Heaven's Ray began firing it's gatling guns again, the accuracy of the shots increasing as it drew closer to it's target. One of Heaven's Rays auxillary boosters exploded, then the other, causing the charging AC to purge them. The spontaneous events causing the Heaven's Ray to fall forward and skid across the road at high speed. Heaven's Ray's skid slowed to a stop as it arrived at the White Wolf. The damaged white AC lifted it's arm, shotgun in hand and placed the barrel between the Heaven's Ray's Core and cockpit. The shotgun fired, and the Heaven's Ray was disabled then, shortly after, the White Wolf shut down.

The Hawk jumped up to the top of a low roof, continuing to drive along as missiles destroyed the roof behind it. The Hawk-Eye jumped back down to the street when it had gotten to the edge of the roof as the Blackbird fired a barrage of missiles, some of which were smoke missiles, drawing Heaven's Lightning's attention. Alessia tried to get in closer before her opponent had completely oriented itself towards her but was too slow so she had to quickly retreat around the corner of a building to avoid being hit by rockets.

Alexander took the moment to fire at one of the missile launchers on Heaven's Lightning's back, disabling it. Heaven's Lightning turned it's attention back to Alexander as it retreated, firing a barrage of missiles and rockets. One of the rockets caught the Hawk as it dodged, staggering the reverse joint AC when it hit one of the Hawk's legs. Alexander gasped as a volley of missiles headed towards him. His hands shook, violently, as he watched them draw closer and closer to him.

"Alex, move...!" Alessia shouted and though Alexander heard her, he couldn't bring himself to move. He looked down to his shaking hands, not recognizing them as his own. The missiles blew up a short distance from the Hawk, damaging it slightly and knocking the AC down on it's back. The Black Wolf skid to a stop in front of the Hawk, firing it's machine gun at the the Heaven's Lightning as the tank AC fled around the corner of a building.

"You okay, Alex?" Noland asked.

"Y-y-y..." Alexander stuttered.

A loud buzzer sounder, signaling the end of the match. Cael climbed out of the cockpit of the White Wolf. Across from him, Jacob had also managed to get out of the Heaven's Ray, dusting himself off. Cael began climbing down from the White Wolf's wreckage and Jacob came over to help him down. "You guys're that good with rust?" Jacob asked.

"You guys got better while we were gone," Cael said. The two shook hands, and turned their heads to the direction of the cleanup crews's sirens.

"Just so you know," Jacob said, "about what you said a while back, a lot of guys think you're right. Includin' me and my brothers..."

"Not that it matters. The comission dismissed it as an just an accusation a couple of weeks ago. Not exactly a way to prove faking the lack of restraint," Cael said.

"Yeah, but even so... we pilots know the job better than those old fossils in suits,"

"Jacob...!" Joseph called out as he ran over. "Hey, Cael. Thought I had you back there,"

"It was definitely a close call," Cael said.

"If it means anything, I hope you guys can get another shot at those guys. No one wants to admit it but, you guys are probably the only ones that can beat them." Joseph said.

"Speak for yourself dipshit," Jacob said, lightly hitting his brother on the back of the head.

Noland and Alessia helped a trembling Alexander out of the Hawk's cockpit. Alessia pat him on the back and Noland kept him standing as John ran over, frantic. "Is he okay? I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, John. You didn't hurt him," Noland said.

"You sure? Why's he shaking?" John asked.

"It's... from his accident a few years ago," Alessia said.

"He'll be fine... we just need to give him a minute," Noland added.


	58. Chapter 19-2

**Act III**

 **Chapter 19-2**

 **?**

Week 18 - Day 3

"Ya went to all this trouble?" Lewis asked. Cunningham took a seat across from Lewis and sighed. "Ya seem tired,"

"I am... the hoops I had to jump through to do all of this..." Cunningham said.

"I didn't ask ya to do this much," Lewis said.

"No, but I had to... especially if my people played a role in it..."

"I owe ya thanks,"

"You owe me nothing. What I just put in your hands is a curse, Mr. Clark. It may help your friend, but that's the only good that will come from it,"

"Even so,"

"You need to understand that I can no longer assist you in this capacity. I included a list of lawyers who'll make the case but you yourself will still need to appear in court,"

"I'm okay with that,"

"There's one catch..."

"And that is?"

"Neither I nor The Ark are, nor were we ever involved in this..." Cunningham said seriously, "Do you understand?"

"Not really. I thought ya had a stake in this too?"

"I do. There are people in my ranks that I need to smoke out, but if we go under the microscope of this investigation, they'll probably high tail it before I can get to them. I will not allow that to happen..."

"I see... Thank you," Lewis said, extending his hand across the table.

"What I said when we first spoke hasn't changed. This is still dangerous," Cunningham said, shaking Lewis' hand.

Noland threw Alexander a bottle of water, which Alexander fumbled with before eventually getting a grip on it. He opened the bottle a drank while Noland sat on the stool across from him. He removed another bottle of water from the bag he was carrying, tossing it at a passing crew worker. Noland gave out several other bottles of water before opening and drinking one himself.

"You okay?" Noland asked.

"Yeah. Still a bit shaken," Alexander said, "and shaky,"

"What happened, yesterday I mean,"

"I panicked..." Alexander sighed, "I saw the missiles and... I mean I knew they wouldn't get through the cockpit but... I just..."

"Sometimes," Noland interceded, "sometimes I still try to do things with my left hand. It's not that I forgot it's gone, I know it's gone... We all lost something in that fight. Physical injuries are easy to get use to compared to mental ones like what Vai got... but you got hit with both... None of us expect you to start running right out the gate. Don't expect that from yourself,"

"Yeah... you're right..."

"You better get to work," Noland said as he stood, "Alessia plans on bringing you with her to simulator training,"

"I'm sorry, Miss Saint Claire, the parts in the last shipment were all of the spare parts we kept for the White Wolf," Dr. Vinheim said over the video call.

"Is there nothing you and your team can do?" Alessia asked as she sat down in a chair at the table, moving the video call from the tablet to the large wall monitor.

"I'm afraid not. Not soon at least. I may have something for you in a few weeks but..."

"I understand. Still, thank you for your continued support, Dr. Vinheim. We never would have made it this far if not for all you've done for us,"

"You give me more credit than I deserve. Take care Miss Saint Claire. We'll speak in the future," Dr. Vinheim said. Alessia ended the call and sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Crap..." she said.


	59. Chapter 19-3

**Act III**

 **Chapter 19-3**

 **?**

Week 18 - Day 7

The bang from a gunshot echoed through the warehouse, followed by another and then another. Vai removed the empty clip from the handgun and replaced it. She took aim at the target, a human shaped dummy, that stood against the warehouse wall. Her grandmother watched her carefully from a chair while the female enforcer her grandmother kept nearby was behind her, overseeing her training. Vai fired the handgun, emptying another clip into the dummy. The enforcer tapped Vai on the shoulder and Vai took her ear muffs off.

"Loosen up," the enforcer instructed.

"You just told me to tighten up," Vai argued.

"Tighten your grip... so you don't hit yourself in the face when the gun kicks. Loosen your elbows..." the enforcer said. Vai sighed, rolling her eyes but following the woman's instruction.

"If you can't shoot a damn gun by now, then I'm wasting my time and should just shoot you," Vai's grandmother said. Vai, ignored her grandmother, putting her ear muffs back on and firing the handgun at the dummy. Several of the bullets missed and three hit the dummy's body. "Dumb bitch... shoot the damn thing in the head already," her grandmother yelled.

"I'll shoot you in the head," Vai yelled, ripping off her ear muffs and throwing them on the ground.

"Well goddamn, if it'd help you shoot straight then do it..." her grandmother taunted. Vai quickly turned the gun to her grandmother and took aim. "You point that gun at me you damn well better pull the trigger,"

"Don't tempt me..." Vai warned.

"I'm waiting..." her grandmother taunted. Vai pulled the trigger of the gun but was shocked when it made a clicking sound. Her grandmother pulled her own handgun from it's holster on her waist and checked the clip.

She made sure the gun was loaded then she aimed and fired the gun at Vai, the bullet grazing her ear. Vai fell to the floor, her eyes widened and filled with terror. She sat there for a minute, trembling, as her grandmother put the gun away and shook her head. "Pathetic," her grandmother scoffed, "You still haven't learned the weight of a loaded gun. You still can't shoot a damn dummy. And you're still a spineless little shit... all bark, no bite. I can't use this,"

"What do you want me to do with her?" the enforcer asked.

"I'd say put the bitch out of her misery... but the bullet you'd use is worth more than her," Vai's grandmother said as she sat back down. "Just take her back,"

"Yes ma'am," the enforcer said as she grabbed Vai by the arm and dragged her off.

Vai found herself back in her own bed. It was dark but lights from the city illuminated the dark room. She sat up, holding her ear that was in pain and remembered that her grandmother had almost shot it off. Vai screamed, partly in anger and partly in sadness before breaking down into tears.

"Shut the hell up in there," yelled one of her neighbors. Frustrated, Vai grabbed a bottle that was on the nightstand next to her bed and threw it at the wall where her neighbor's voice had come from. The glass bottle shattered and Vai could hear her neighbor cursing at her. "You know what? I'm callin' the landlord," the man said. Vai grumbled and lay back down on the bed, sighing.


	60. Chapter 20-1

**Act III**

 **Chapter 20-1**

 **?**

Week 19 - Day 2

Loser's Round Two

Black Raven vs Four Kings

The Hawk fired it's sniper rifle, blowing the head off of the approaching quadraped AC. A second quadraped flanked the Hawk, preparing to fire it's gatling gun but one of it's front legs was hit by a shot from the Blackbird's rifle. The second quadraped was thrown off balance and missed it's shots aimed at the Hawk. The Blackbird continued attacking, firing it's rifle and firing a barrage of missiles.

Several blocks away, the Black Wolf dodged the missiles fired from a third quadraped while also blocking the rifle fire from a fourth quadraped. The Black Wolf returned fire, firing it's machinegun at the fourth quadraped, putting pressure on the four legged AC and causing it to pull back. The third quadraped fired another volley of missiles at the Black Wolf but the Black Wolf evaded them all, quickly stopping to fire it's back mounted rifle. The Black Wolf's rifle shot the third quadraped in the center of it's Core, piercing it and disabling the AC. The fourth quadraped began chasing the Black Wolf again, exchanging fire as they dashed through the streets.

"We're done on our end," Alessia said over an audio call.

"One sec. I'm finishing up," Noland said.

"Four on three," Lewis said, "Glad they're only rookies,"

"How's Cael?" Alessia asked.

"Sulkin'," Lewis said sarcastically as he glanced at Cael who was sitting in a chair in the corner.

"Not sulking," Cael said. A buzzing noise echoed throughout the arena, signaling the end of the match. The Black Wolf stood victorious over the opposing AC that had been disabled.

"That's a wrap," Noland said.

"We'll see ya guys back here," Lewis said turning off the monitor.


	61. Chapter 20-2

**Act III**

 **Chapter 20-2**

 **?**

Week 19 - Day 3

Lewis was searched before being allowed to enter the visitors area. He scanned the room, searching for the table where Charles was waiting and headed over once he had located him. The two greeted each other with subtle hand waves and Lewis took a seat across from Charles.

"I know I hadn't been by in a while. Things've been... busy to say the least," Lewis said apologetically.

"It's fine. I been keepin' up with your team as much as I could. There's a tv in the yard so..." Charles told his friend, "How've you been?"

"I'm doin' fine. New rabble, same noise,"

"Heh... and Vai? How's Vai? I haven't heard from her in a while and she hasn't come to see me..."

"She... got herself into some trouble,"

"Trouble?" Charles exclaimed, "The hell you mean trouble? Is she alright?"

"She's fine... Got thrown in a cell for a day. When I called, turns out her grandmother'd already bailed her out," Lewis explained. Charles expression went from expressing concern to expressing seriousness.

"Her grandmother...?" Charles asked, "My crime boss mother?"

"That's the one," Lewis said sarcastically as if he had forgotten.

"And where is she now?"

"I don't-"

"Don't... don't say you don't know, alright. Just... just find her, and keep her out of trouble, away from my mother,"

"I tried bailin' her out, at least Alessia tried pulling some strings to get her out but she doe'n't want our help, Charles," Lewis explained, "Ya mother might not be the best person in the world to watch out for her, but she wouldn't throw Vai in harm's way, not with the chance ya'd find out,"

"You were always the optimistic one," Charles said, holding his head in his hands.

"I came by to tell ya that I know..." Lewis said abruptly, speaking with a serious tone.

"You know? What?" Charles asked, confused.

"Charles... I know," Lewis said and Charles realized what his friend was talking about.

"I told you to stay out of it..." Charles said.

"Couldn't do that," Lewis said, "You're inno-"

"Lewis...!" Charles interrupted, "I told you-"

"Ya didn't-"

"Lew-"

"Why're ya-"

"Sto-"

"I'm just tryin' to understand-"

"Lewis, enough...!" Charles yelled. The two had raised their voices and drawn attention to themselves. Several guards had turned their gazes towards the two and several others had already begun approaching them.

"I'm gonna be speakin' to lawyers-"

"Lewis don't-"

"and with the evidence we got we can knock decades off ya sentence-"

"Dammit Lewis..."

"Ya innocent, Charles. Ya servin' time for a crime ya didn't commit an' ya weren't around to raise ya daughter an' she needs ya..." Lewis said. He leaned across the table and looked Charles in the eye. "You... can not... ask me... to turn a blind eye to this. I'm not gonna let you rot in here. I couldn't live with myself if I did,"

"Well maybe you should learn to..." Charles snapped. The guards arrived at the table and asked Lewis to leave, escorting him out of the visiting area.

Vai's eyes opened slowly as she woke from her sleep. She yawned and stretched, her back hitting the back of the chair she was sitting in. Vai looked around, startled, and realized that she was still sitting in a hospital room where she must have fallen asleep. Vai was startled again when she realized that her mother was watching her from bed. "Wait," her mother said as Vai got up to leave, "please don't go. I haven't seen you since..."

Vai sighed as her mother's voice trailed off. Reluctantly, Vai sat back down but turned the chair so that she wasn't facing her mother. "I've been having problems staying awake. A side effect of the... you know," Vai's mother explained. Vai shook her head and rolled her eyes before getting up to leave again. "Vai, please...!" her mother pleaded.

"What do you want?" Vai snapped.

"I just... it's been so long and I just wanted to talk to you,"

"And say what? We have nothing to talk about,"

"I-I know but I... I just wanted to let you know, that I'm going to be... I'm going to be getting help..."

"Yeah, I've heard that before," Vai said as she rolled her eyes and opened the door.

"I wanted to tell you... that you may not hear from me in a while... I'm checking myself into a rehab facility... and-and... and I wanted to let you know that... I love you,"

Vai left the room, closing the door behind her and left the hospital. She walked and kept walking until she was clear of the hospital. The sun was setting, the sky darkening as it did and the lights of the city became more pronounced as they illuminated the creeping darkness. The streets were still filled with people and vehicles as Vai walked pass them all with her head bowed, her eyes on the sidewalk. Her eyes were drawn to her shoes as they moved, one in front of the other and she watched her shoes as they stayed in constant motion, only stopping when other pairs of shoes entered her line of sight so she could steer clear of the person they belonged to.

A drop of water hit the sidewalk beside Vai's shoe which was something that came as a surprise to her. She looked up and held her hand out to feel for any drops of rain that might have been falling however the sky was clear of clouds. She touched her cheek and felt that they were wet, realizing that the drop of water had come from her eyes. Vai continued walking, her head bowed, eyes on her shoes as they moved one in front of the other and tears streaming from her eyes.

"Vai...?" Alessia called out as Vai approached. Her call surprised Vai who had been looking down at the floor as she walked.

"Why are you people always at my door...?" Vai asked, her voice lifeless. She moved pass Alessia to her apartment door and opened it.

"I haven't talked to you in a while and you never return my calls so-"

"So you just come whenever you like?" Vai interrupted, entering the her apartment and closing the door behind her. Alessia raised her fist, about to knock on the door but stopped just as it was about to make contact.

"Don't know if you know but... we made it to the Loser's Finals. It's a battle royale this time," Alessia explained.

"What do you want?" Vai asked, standing on the other side of the door.

"Cael's AC is damaged and Alex only recently decided to pilot again, so he's still getting back into the swing of things-"

"What do you want...?" Vai asked, raising her voice.

"To let you know that this is probably as far as we can get without you... and that we all miss having you on the team... and that I miss hanging out with you... and to let you know that... even if you don't rejoin the team, we can still hang out like we use to..."

Alessia waited for Vai to respond but after a few minutes waiting with no response she sighed, heavily. "Give it some thought at least," Alessia said, "It was nice seeing you after... everything...". Having said what she had come to say, Alessia made her way to the elevator and out the apartment building. Vai sat with her back against the door, arms around her legs and head buried in her knees as she cried.


	62. Chapter 20-3

**Act III**

 **Chapter 20-3**

 **?**

Week 19 - Day 7

"Wow," Eliza said, impressed as she entered the office, "This place sure is busy. What's all the buzz? Which one of you kicked the hornet's nest this time?"

"Stick around and find out," Alessia said, angrily. She stormed out the door behind Eliza and made her way across the catwalk where she waited for Lewis to walk into the hangar.

"I've never seen her angry before," Eliza said as she peeped out the door.

"That's her when she's annoyed," Noland corrected.

"What's going on? Are we all still going out or...?" Eliza asked.

"Alessia says we are but..." Noland said as he leaned back in his chair, watching the news and the crowd of people surrounding the Black Raven hangar. Eliza turned her attention to Cael who was focused on the tablet in his hands. She went over to him and leaned on the back of his chair. Cael didn't notice her, focusing on the playback of an AC match instead. Eliza watched too, curious.

"I swear, they're in a whole other league," Eliza said.

"Who?" Alexander asked. "What you guys watching?"

"Dread Scythe of course," Eliza answered.

"The Finals?" Noland asked.

"Yep. We... kinda got rocked," Eliza said.

Alessia ran down the stairs to the hangar floor as Lewis entered. She walked over to him, keeping a brisk pace and calling out his name as she made her way to him. "Why am I just now hearing about this?" Alessia asked.

"Because ya had enough on ya plate," Lewis explained.

"That's not a good enough excuse," Alessia said.

"It's the only one I got for ya," Lewis said.

"Does Vai know about this?"

"Depends on if she's been watchin' the news for the past week,"

"Why would you keep this a secret from us?"

"'Cause I didn't want y'all caught up in all this,"

"First coverin' Nol's mom's hospital bills, and now this?"

"What do ya want me to say, Alessia?"

"I want you to stop keeping secrets like this from us!"

"Those aren't exactly secrets anymore, now are they?" Lewis asked sarcastically.

"One more PR nightmare," Alessia sighed.

"Y'all were taking the day off right? Go on ahead. Ya worked hard this week,"

"Like you'd know. You weren't there when we were training,"

"I was with ya in spirit. Y'all been gettin' my messages right?"

"Yeah, the ones where you told us what we should be practicing for that day."

"Alessia," Noland shouted from the catwalk, "we still goin' out?"

Alessia looked Lewis in the eye and sighed. "Yeah," she shouted back up to him, "we're about to go now,".

"Have fun," Lewis said, patting Alessia on the head, "big week comin' up,"

Eliza, Alessia, Cael, Noland, and Alexander waded through the crowds of people as they enjoyed themselves. The narrow streets were animated, alive, filled with cheering, music and dancing. The sun had set, the sky had darkened and people were celebrating as they did every night on this particular street.

Eliza and the Black Raven pilots arrived at a restaurant, entering it together. They found a booth and sat there as they waited for someone to take their orders. The five of them ordered their food and ate. While they ate, they talked about whatever random things that came up and told stories about past ventures. When they had finished eating, they paid their bill and went back to the street where people were still out, still having fun.

The group of five found an empty table and sat, watching the various street performers do their acts. A man juggling dozens of small metal balls commanded the awe of dozens of spectators while a woman danced, dodging several ropes that two small MTs whipped around her as she danced.

"I been meaning to ask," Noland began, "How is it, I mean why is it that she says she's your sister, but you say she's not?"

"Beacuse she isn't," Cael said back.

"But you grew up in the same foster home...?" Alessia added.

"Yes, we did," Eliza said.

"Don't remember," Cael dismissed.

"How can you not remember?" Alexander asked.

"It was a long time ago guys," Eliza informed them.

"Just sayin', Cael, you're a jerk," Noland joked to which Cael replied by showing his middle finger to Noland. Everyone laughed and then they watched as another group of performers made their ways through the street. As the night drew to a close, the performers left the area and the crowds of people thinned greatly. Alexander was the first of the group to call it a night, followed by Noland. Eliza got up to leave, leaving Alessia and Cael alone at the table. Alessia thumped Cael on the forehead and gestured with her hands towards Eliza.

"What?" Cael asked, confused.

"Why're you being so dense? She's your sister," Alessia said.

"She thinks she's my sister. She has the wrong guy," Cael said.

"Because there are just oh so many runaway orphans named, "Cael" piloting ACs," Alessia said sarcastically.

"She's remembering wrong,"

"Cael, maybe you're remembering wrong. She told me a story of how you gave her a black eye. So you don't remember ever punching a little girl in the face as a kid?"

"No... maybe,"

"Cael... she's probably really sad that you don't remember her..."

"And?" Cael shrugged, prompting Alessia to thump him on the forehead again.

"Are you still mad that she almost beat you?" Alessia asked.

"No," Cael sighed.

"Then," Alessia said, gesturing to Eliza who had gotten even further away. Cael sighed, got up out of his chair and went after Eliza. Cael caught up to Eliza who was shocked to see Cael.

"Hey," Eliza greeted, "how'd you,"

"I ran," Cael said.

"Oh... why?" Eliza asked.

"Alessia..."

"Okay... and why?"

"Because," Cael sighed, "I'm sorry."

"About...?" Eliza asked, starting to laugh.

"I really don't remember you and I'm sorry I don't,"

"I said it was fine," Eliza said, nudging Cael with her elbow, "Don't worry. I'm a big girl now,"

The intersection cleared up and Eliza hugged Cael before going on her way. Cael went back to where Alessia was waiting. "Well...?" she asked.

"She's not my sister," Cael said.

"Don't be a jerk," Alessia said.

"You ready to leave?"

"Does it matter? I'm the one with the car,"

"Ha ha," Cael laughed a fake, sarcastic laugh.

It was morning and the sun had just risen. Alessia woke up to a knocking sound coming from the front door. She wearily got out of bed, rubbing the sand from her eyes as she walked to the front door of the apartment. She passed by the couch where Cael slept, the tablet still playing whatever it was he had been watching. Alessia checked to see who was at the door and was surprised to see that it was Vai so she quickly shook herself awake then opened the door. "Vai...!" she said, surprised, "Hey,"

"Hey," Vai said back. Alessia waited for Vai to say something else but she never did.

"You... wanna come in?" Alessia asked after a long silence.

"Sign me back up," Vai said, surprising Alessia with her words. Alessia didn't understand what Vai had just said to her at first but when she did, her eyes lit up with excitement.


	63. Chapter 21

**Act III**

 **Chapter 21**

 **Battle Royale Part I**

Week 21 - Day 6

Loser's Finals

5 Team Battle Royale

Vai stood at the feet of her AC, looking up at it. It was a massive black heavyweight bipedal. It's forearms had autocannons built into it's wrists, two in each with a barrel on each side of the wrist joints. Shields were built onto it's legs and it's Core was reinforced with a thick armor plating guarding the cockpit. Alexander was in the cockpit, checking the AC's systems while a crew member watched. "Lookin' good," Lewis said as he approached.

"It's tighter than I remember," Vai said, putting on her pilot suit.

"Alessia's been ordering a few parts for it in every shipment," Lewis said, "I think she knew ya'd join up with us,"

"Everything's good!" Alexander yelled as he exited the cockpit.

"Where's Alessia?" Vai asked.

"The press's been pressurin' us for answers about Nol an' what Cael said... an' me," Lewis answered.

"Well at least we're still famous,"

"If for all the wrong reasons,"

"The case... Do you really think you can get him out?" Vai asked. Lewis pat her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry 'bout it. Leave it to me," he reassured her, "you just focus on gettin' us to the finals so he has somethin' to watch when he's out,"

The Paris AC arena, like the one in Circle City, was a massive dome structure located far on the outskirts of Paris. The arena was packed with people, just like the one in Circle City, and more continued to pour in. The crowds were loud from people talking amongst themselves and cheering, anticipating the soon to start battle royale. Announcers, commentators, reporters and journalists were preparing their coverage of the soon to start match where five teams would be fighting for the chance to get to the grand finals where the winner would take on Dread Scythe for the gold. Three time former champions Black Raven, the fan favorite rookie team New Suns, a rookie team named Eagle Eye, the five year veteran team Monarchs, and the Rangers, a six year veteran team, were all in their seperate hangars in the arena preparing their ACs as the time counted down until the start of the match.

"I hadn't noticed your hair had gotten so long," Alessia said, grabbing large tufts of Cael's curly black hair. "It needs to be cut again,"

"The match is about to start," Cael pointed out. Alessia laughed and climbed down from Cael's AC, heading to the Blackbird.

"Cael, ya hear me?" Lewis asked over a video call.

"Yeah," Cael answered.

"Alex, have I ever told ya, ya a miracle worker?" Lewis joked.

"You could say it a bit more often," Alexander laughed.

"We're lucky most manufacturers standardize their parts these days," Lewis said.

"For sure," Alexander agreed, "just don't go charging in like you usually do. It's performance is way lower than the usual league ACs,"

"You hear that, Cael? Whatever you do, just don't do what you usually do," Noland mocked.

"I bet I'll last longer than you out there," Cael taunted.

"Challenge accepted," Noland said.

"Knock it off you guys," Alessia chimed in, "We're almost there,"

The one minute timer came on each of the Black Raven pilots' screens and the five of them lined up their ACs at the entrance to the tunnel, keeping space between them. The Black Wolf lead in the front of the line, followed by the Blackbird, then the Hawk, then Cael's bipedal AC, and finally Vai's AC, Black Iron, took up the rear. The five ACs entered the dark tunnel as the timer counted down. When the timer reached zero and the the gates to the arena opened, the Black Raven ACs dashed out of the tunnel into the arena.

"Whoa," Noland said in awe, "wasn't expecting this,"

The inside of the arena was a forrested area with trees and plant life seemingly growing out of the floor. A city could be seen towards the center of the arena and it's ruined buildings seemed to be covered in plant growth.

"The Paris arena uses a lot of natural terrain elements. It's far easier to maintain and repair than ours because they only ever have to repair the city," Alessia explained.

"And it's better looking," Noland added.

"Focus," Lewis instructed over an audio call, "y'all are in there with four other teams. Lettin' ya guard down at any point's a bad idea,"

"He's right. Let's stick to the plan," Alessia said.

"There's no limit on points during this match," Lewis said, "and each AC carries their scored points. So be careful,"

"I'm heading to the city," Noland informed as he sped off in the Black Wolf.

"Vai, let's go," Alexander said but Vai gave no response. "Vai?"

Vai sat in the cockpit of the Black Iron, shaking. She had muted herself so the others could not hear her fast, heavy breathing. She could hear the others talking but their voices seemed muffled to her.

"I'll go with Alex," Cael said.

"And I'll-" Alessia said but was interrupted.

"No," Vai said, "I'm okay,"

"You sure...?" Alessia asked.

"Let's go," Vai said, ignoring the question. The Black Iron moved along through the forrest while the Hawk trailed a short distance behind it. The Blackbird and Cael's AC went together in the opposite direction with Cael's AC in front while the Blackbird followed closely behind.

"There's no time limit in this match, so everyone'll be taking their time," Cael said.

"Yeah... and since we're fielding five ACs, we don't get a resupply," Alessia added.

The echoes of combat could be heard throughout the arena but almost as soon as they started, they ended. Skirmishes were taking place across the battlefield. The Black Wolf sat on the top floor of a ruined building where Noland could carefully watch the area around him. He could see in the distance, an AC fighting another AC in the distance then immediately fleeing. An hour passed without heavy conflict taking place.

"Nol, how's it goin'?" Lewis asked.

"Everyone's hiding I think. A few fights over in that rocky area near the north gate," Noland reported.

"How many people have been shot down now?" Alexander asked.

"Surprisin'ly, no one," Lewis answered.

"Where is everybody...?" Cael mumbled. He began checking his AC's weapons. The AC carried a rifle in it's hands, missile launchers on it's legs and on it's shoulders. "Something's not right,"

"Last time we didn't trust him when said that and... you know," Noland said.

"Cael, what do you mean?" Alessia asked.

"Nol, have you changed locations yet?" Cael asked.

"What? No. I was about to though. Why?" Noland replied.

"Don't you guys think it's strange that no one's found him yet?" Cael asked.

"We're suppose to get Noland to lure opponents to us," Alessia answered, "but all that counts on him being found and chased,"

"So should I move or not?" Noland asked.

"Switch to plan A5," Alessia ordered.

"Got it," Noland confirmed. The Black Wolf backed away from the hole in the wall that it was peering from and drove down several ramps to the ground. As it exited the building, several missiles impacted the Black Wolf's shield, damaging and destroying it. "I got a guest,".

Noland spotted the AC that was attacking him, a quadraped from team Eagle Eye, on the roof of a building. The Eagle Eye quadraped fired more missiles at the Black Wolf, but Noland evaded them as he retreated. On the road below the quadraped, a heavyweight and middleweight bipedal from team Monarchs came into view. Noland smirked when the quadraped fired another volley of missiles at the Black Wolf but stopped when he saw the two Monarch ACs rushing towards him instead of going after the Eagle Eye AC.

"What?" Noland shouted as he fled.

"Nol, what's going on?" Alessia asked.

"They ignored an easy target," Noland told her, "They're coming after me,"

"Which teams?" Alessia asked.

"Eagle Eye and Monarchs," Noland reported.

"We anticipated as much," Alessia mumbled.

"If those two teams are workin' together that's, at most, ten ACs in total," Lewis thought aloud.

"No doubt Eliza and her team are taking on the Rangers," Alessia added, "Nol, get to Vai and Alex,"

"Already on my way but..." Noland said as the Black Wolf and it's cockpit shook violently. The Eagle Eye quadraped was bombarding the ground with missiles while the Monarch bipedals fired their rifles and cannons. The Black Wolf moved quickly, using the ruins as cover to defend against the incoming attacks. Noland managed to escape the city but his pursuers were only a short distance behind so he took the Black Wolf into the forrest, using the trees as cover.

"Noland, I see you," Alexander informed his fleeing teammate, "Get them in range,"

Alexander took aim at Noland's pursuers with the Hawk's sniper rifle. The Black Wolf continued fleeing, deeper and deeper into the forrest. Alexander prepared to fire but just as he was about to, the Monarch bipedals slowed to a halt, ending their pursuit.

"They're just out of my range," Alexander told Noland.

"One sec," Noland said. He turned the Black Wolf around and began firing his machinegun at the mediumweight bipedal. The two ACs dodged Noland's attacks and pulled back, retreating. "I think they know," Noland said sarcastically.

"Vai," Alexander called.

Vai fired the Black Iron's autocannons as she rushed in, hitting the middle weight bipedal and causing it to flee. The heavyweight shrugged off the attacks but was caught off guard as the Black Iron slammed into it. The two heavyweight ACs grappled, trying to push one another back but the two were evenly matched. The heavyweight Monarch's teammate flanked Vai, firing it's rifle at the Black Iron but the Black Wolf quickly joined the skirmish, firing it's machinegun at the middle weight bipedal.

While his teammates engaged their opponents directly, Alexander moved the Hawk into a better position, getting closer to put the Monarch ACs in range of the Hawk's sniper rifle. When he had found a location, he quickly put the Hawk back in it's firing position, it's stabilizing legs deploying behind it. Alexander again took aim at his opponents, targeting the heavyweight bipedal that was grappling with the Black Iron then the Hawk-Eye fired it's sniper rifle, hitting the heavyweight bipedal in the leg, staggering the AC just enough to allow the Black Iron to gain an advantage.

Vai saw her opportunity, quickly releasing one of her opponent's hands and firing the Black Iron's cannons at the heavyweight's Core. She pressed down on the Black Iron's pedals, pushing the Monarch AC back and pinning it to a tree. The Black Iron held the Monarch in place with one hand and began pounding the AC's Core with the other.

Alexander adjusted the Hawk and took aim at the middle weight bipedal engaging the Black Wolf. The two were engaged in a mobile firefight with neither staying still for more than a few seconds making it hard for Alexander to get a lock on his target. It took time however Alexander found his opportunity but a flash in the corner of his screen caught his attention. Moment's later, the Hawk's left arm had been blown off. Not wasting anytime, Alexander disengaged the Hawk's stabilizing legs and jumped backwards, just as something impacted where the Hawk had been. "A sniper...!" Alexander exclaimed.

"Alessia, things're gettin' heavy over there," Lewis said.

"We anticipated this," Alessia thought aloud, "A lot of people were thinking we'd be the most likely to win, going into this. Having two teams gang up on us was bound to happen..."

"Alessia..." Cael said.

"Stick to the plan," Alessia said solemnly, "that's four of the ten ACs..."

"You're not missing much," Noland joked. The Black Wolf dodged more of the middle weight Monarch's rifle fire, returning fire with the Black Wolf's machinegun.

"The size of the impacts," Alexander said as he had the Hawk jump to dodge another large bullet, "it's a sniper cannon,"

"Cael, get ready," Alessia instructed. Two red arrows had appeared on her on screen map and they were approaching their position. "They're searching for us and setting up a pincer at the same time,"

"Ya hear that? Get ready to head into the city," Lewis said.

"Cael, do it," Alessia ordered as the arrows on her map drew closer. She marked the locations of the approaching ACs on Cael's map and Cael immediately drove his AC in that direction. Moments after leaving Alessia, Cael caught sight of the opponents Alessia had detected, two middleweight bipedals from Eagle Eye, and they detected him. Cael quickly changed direction, heading towards the city as the two middleweights opened fire on him.

"Wait... this isn't a pincer..." Alessia mumbled. The two arrows that were together split up, seemingly ignoring Cael. Two more arrows appeared on screen ahead of Cael's marker and Alessia gasped. "They baited us... Cael, come back!"

Missiles began whirring through the trees, passing by the Blackbird. The two approaching middleweights were firing blindly into the forrest. Alessia kept her eyes honed in on the direction that the bullets and missiles were coming from. She toggled her missiles on, and prepared to fire them as the Eagle Eye ACs approached.

Cael was caught off guard by the sudden barrage of gunfire coming straight at him. He quickly put his AC into cover behind a few trees but they were quickly destroyed, causing him to go for more cover. Cael sighted the two ACs that were firing on him and quickly opened fire on the quadrapeds. Cael tried to flee but the two quadrapeds were chasing him, continuing to fire a barrage of bullets. "If I come back, it'll lead them to you," Cael grunted as the cockpit shook.

"I didn't think it'd get this bad, this quick," Alessia said, thinking to herself, "but this is the hard part..."

Alessia fired several missiles from the missile launchers on the Blackbird's legs. The forrest quickly filled up with smoke and the sounds of metal smashing against metal. She didn't waste anytime after firing, driving the Blackbird away as more blind fire came her way.

The heavyweight bipedal Monarch broke free from the Black Iron's grip and it's arm quickly revealed a built in pile driver. The heavyweight tried hitting the Black Iron with the pile driver but Vai backed away as it did. The Black Iron still took some damage from the driver making contact with the armor on it's Core. Vai countered by firing the Black Iron's autocannons but the heavyweight shrugged off the attacks then engaged it's back mounted cannons, firing them immediately. Vai dodged the cannon shots, blowing apart the trees behind the Black Iron.

"Eight ACs..." Alessia mumbled as she fled.

The Black Wolf and the middleweight Monarch bipedal dashed through the trees, exchanging fire as they kept pace with one another. The Black Wolf abruptly slowed down as the middleweight began firing it's back mounted gatlingun. The Black Wolf then got behind the bipedal, aiming it's back mounted rifle at it's foe but Noland's attention was drawn to the Black Iron as it fought the heavyweight. He aimed at the heavyweight Monarch bipedal, just as it prepared to fire it's cannons at the Black Iron, and fired, hitting the heavyweight's cannons as they fired. The middleweight began pelting the Black Wolf with gatlingun fire, causing Noland to go on the move again, fleeing towards the city.

Vai saw her chance to escape, following Noland's lead and quickly heading towards the city doing her best to have the Black Iron dodge the incoming cannon fire from the heavyweight bipedal as it pursued her. "Alex, where are you?" she asked.

"I'm in the city, hiding. There's a heavyweight bipedal with some sniper cannons on a roof but he's looking for me," Alexander told her.

Cael entered the city with the two quadrapeds chasing behind him, still firing their weapons. Cael took cover in the ruins of a building and began firing back with his rifle. The two quadrapeds stayed in the forest, using the trees as cover. When Cael fired, the quadrapeds took cover and only fired back once Cael stopped firing.

"Guys, situation," Alessia asked. The Blackbird was resting in the forest, hidden from it's pursuers that Alessia was tracking.

"Still hidden," Alexander reported.

"Just got into the city," Noland said as the Black Wolf entered a building. The middleweight pursuing him slowed down.

"I'm here but," Vai said as the Black Iron grappled with the heavyweight bipedal Monarch. Vai broke free, firing at the the heavyweight but instead of shrugging off the attack, it seemed to recoil. The heavyweight retreated, quickly leaving the city.

"Cael, what's happening on your end?" Alessia asked.

"Something's not right..." Cael mumbled to himself. He continued his exchange of fire with the two quadrapeds hiding behind the tree line. Cael gasped and had his AC dashed out of cover towards the tree line but the quadrapeds didn't fire on him, despite Cael's AC being out of cover. "They know...!"

"What?" Alessia asked.

"They're pushing us into the city..." Cael groaned as the quadrapeds opened fire on him as he retreated back to the cover of the ruins. A loud boom and a whistling sound echoed throughout the arena. The pilots of Black Raven all looked to the the fake sky and saw it filled with missiles.

Ten minutes had passed since the first volley and many volleys had ravaged the city since. The Black Wolf was buried in rubble, the same for the Black Iron while the Hawk raced through the streets dodging missiles and sniper cannon fire. Cael's AC's leg had been damaged in the first volley and Cael was doing his best to keep the AC standing as he tried minimizing the damage from the volleys of missiles, constantly hitting the ground. The Blackbird was still hidden in the forest as Alessia monitored the situation.

"We knew this would happen..." Lewis thought aloud.

"The hard part was getting to this point... now we just have to ride it out..." Alessia added.

Ten minutes passed, then another ten, then twenty and another twenty. The volleys of missiles had not stopped. Noland sat, his helmet off as the Black Wolf shook from the impacts of the missiles, waiting for the bombardment to end. Alexander's head bobbed up and down as he grew weary from having to stay constantly focused on piloting. Cael had hidden his AC in a collapsed building beneath a large slab of concrete and was now resting with his helmet off, his eyes closed. Alessia continued to watch the arrows on her map, keeping an eye on the movements on their opponents. Vai had removed her helmet and sat with her head buried in her knees, holding her head with her hands.


	64. Chapter 22

**Act III**

 **Chapter 22**

 **Battle Royale Part II**

Week 21 - Day 6

Loser's Finals

5 Team Battle Royale

Cael opened his eyes, realizing that the bombardment had ended, and quickly put his helmet back on as he checked his AC's status. The ground began to rumble again as the quadrapeds that had been attacking him rolled into the city. Cael waited as the quadrapeds moved past the collapsed building slowly.

The quadrapeds slowed to a stop and Cael sprung into action. His AC dashed out from under the concrete slab it was hiding under just as the collapsed building was hit with waves of bullets, causing the building to finish falling in on itself. Cael fired a volley of missiles at the quadraped out front but it dodged the missiles then returned fire which Cael dodged by backing around a corner.

"They stopped the bombardment," Cael shouted.

"We don't have much time before it starts again," Alessia said, "Noland,"

"I'm on it," Noland said. The Black Wolf moved quickly through the streets, heading towards the forest. The middleweight Monarch bipedal was on the Black Wolf's heels in seconds, firing it's machineguns and gatlinguns as it pursued the Black Wolf. The Black Wolf was on the edge of the city, about to leave it when the heavyweight Monarch bipedal burst forth from a building just ahead of it.

"Vai, your friend's here," Noland said sarcastically but Vai didn't respond as the heavyweight fired it's back mounted cannons. Noland dodged the attack but was hit several times from behind by the middleweight. "Vai," Noland called out, "Vai? Lewis, Vai's not answering,"

"Vai, what's goin' on?" Lewis asked, "Can ya hear me? Vai? Vai!"

Vai was still shaking, holding her head and crying. The Hawk skid to a stop just as the road ahead of it was blown to pieces by sniper cannon shells. Meanwhile, Cael's AC moved the rubble that was covering the Black Iron, revealing that it was damaged but still intact. Cael called out to Vai but she didn't respond. "I found her but she's not responding," Cael told the others, "What do I do?"

Where are the two ACs that were chasing you?" Alessia asked.

"I lost 'em but they're not far," Cael answered.

"Keep them away from Vai," Alessia instructed.

Cael left the Black Iron's location, immediately catching the attention of the quadrapeds that were just outside the building. Cael fired several of his missiles at a building, causing one of it's walls to fall and land on one of the quadrapeds that was chasing him, slowing it down. He fled to the north side of the city, heading to the rocky terrain but the pursuing quadraped landed a hit on Cael's AC's already damaged leg, staggering his AC. Cael took several hits from behind as the quadraped closed in and the alarms inside his cockpit were sounding off one after another.

Smoke obscurred the quadraped's vision as it closed in on Cael's AC. It had come from an explosion that had erupted from a nearby building. Cael managed to turn his AC around, preparing to fire on the quadraped but as the smoke cleared he was surprised to see a red bipedal pinning the quadraped to another building, the blade on the underside of it's shotgun buried in the quadraped's Core. The quadraped was disabled and the red bipedal removed it's shotgun from the quadraped's Core.

The AC that had come out of nowhere turned towards Cael but as soon as it did another AC, another bipedal, jumped from the same building the red AC had burst out of. The new AC, one Cael could tell was from the Rangers, had a large claw mounted on it's arm and used it to grab the red bipedal. The two bipedals crashed through a building, the Rangers bipedal pushing back the red bipedal.

"My AC's damaged, bad." Cael said. He fiddled with the controls of his AC and got it to slowly creep forward. He drove it into a building where he had it rest.

"Can ya move?" Lewis asked.

"Yeah," Cael answered, "I'm hiding out in a building now though,"

"Alessia, ya hear that?" Lewis asked.

"Yeah. Just stay hidden for now Cael," Alessia said.

Alexander tried firing back at the heavyweight bipedal but it had large shields mounted on it's legs, much larger than the ones on the Black Iron, that guarded against the Hawk's sniper rifle rounds. The heavyweight fired it's sniper cannons again but missed as the Hawk leapt backwards. Alexander then had the Hawk take cover in a building and rode the ramps inside the building to the top floor.

The Hawk leapt out of the building onto another building that was leaning against the one it leapt from as Alexander quickly deployed the Hawk's grappling hooks and anchored the Hawk to the building behind him. It drove down the side of the leaning building and Alexander hit the breaks just before sniper cannon rounds blew apart the building in front of him. He released the grappling hook and had his AC jump through one of the holes in the building created by the sniper cannon's shots. The Hawk fell through and landed inside, deploying it's grappling hooks again to anchor it safely inside.

"Guys," Alexander said, "I can't get to the bipedal on the roof and when I try to get out of the city..."

"Keep trying Alex," Alessia told him, "but prioritize staying alive,"

The Black Wolf dodged the heavyweight Monarch bipedal's pile driver and circled around the middleweight Monarch bipedal to avoid it's rifle fire. The heavyweight aimed it's cannons at the Black Wolf, firing immediately but the Black Wolf dodged the attacks last second by crashing into a building. The middleweight chased the Black Wolf into the building but Noland was expecting that. He fired the Black Wolf's rifle, hitting the middleweight's leg and blowing it off. Then he watched as the middleweight tried to recover but wound up falling forward.

"This is getting really hairy," Noland joked. The heavyweight burst into the building as he was about to attack the middleweight while it was down. Noland dodged more of the heavyweight's cannon fire and quickly exited the building through one of the holes the heavyweight had just blasted in the building's walls.

"We need Vai..." Alessia mumbled as she viewed the tactical map and scoreboard. Cael tapped his finger on the controls of his AC, and tapped his feet on the floorboards as well as he grew impatient. He drove his AC out of the building he was hiding in and headed straight towards the Black Iron's location.

The Hawk was on the edge of the city, attempting to get to the forest but again had to change course when sniper cannon fire blew holes in the road ahead of it. Alexander turned the Hawk towards the heavyweight Monarch bipedal and took aim, firing his sniper rifle. The Hawk's bullet smashed against the heavyweight's shields and then the heavyweight returned fire. Alexander dodged the sniper cannon rounds, advancing towards the building where the heavyweight was firing from. He took aim again at the heavyweight but his attention was drawn to a quadraped sitting on the rooftop adjacent to the heavyweight Monarch bipedal. Alexander hit the breaks as several missiles bombarded the road and several of them hit the Hawk, heavily damaging it.

"Alessia, I'm down," Alexander shouted. The Hawk's legs had been damaged and was now laying on it's back. Alexander struggled with the controls and repositioned the Hawk's remaining arm, aiming the Hawk's sniper rifle at the heavyweight bipedal. His eyes widened when he saw the quadraped turn towards the heavyweight and quickly aimed the Hawk's sniper rifle at the quadraped instead. The heavyweight bipedal fired it's sniper cannon at the Hawk, the quadraped fired it's missiles at the heavyweight, and the Hawk fired it's sniper rifle at the quadraped.

"I don't know how he did it but two ACs just got taken out with Alex," Lewis said.

"Who'd the points go to?" Alessia asked.

"They're reviewin' the footage, but I think they're givin' us the points," Lewis told her.

"Six left..." Alessia thought aloud.

"Vai," Cael called. He had found the Black Iron, sitting still, hiding in the building. "Vai," he called out again. "Vai," he yelled.

"She may be sick or somethin'," Lewis said, "We should pull her out and-"

"No," Cael interrupted. Cael aimed his rifle at the Black Iron and fired it several times, shouting at her.

"Cael what're ya doin'?" Lewis scolded, "if ya damage the Black Iron-"

"We'll lose and we'll lose anyway if she doesn't fight," Cael said, "Vai...!"

"Cael, stop!" Alessia yelled.

"I'll stop when she starts fighting," Cael said back, continuing to fire his rifle at the Black Iron, "I know you hear me, Vai. You said you could handle this. We based our plan on having five ACs. Five fighting ACs and you said you could handle it. You said you'd fight..."

The heavyweight Monarch bipedal burst into the building and immediately dashed at Cael's AC. Cael tried turning his AC around but wasn't fast enough as the heavyweight slammed it's pile driver into the side of Cael's AC's cockpit. "So fight," Cael yelled at the same time, as he jammed his AC's rifle into one of the heavyweight's joints and fired. Cael's AC was disabled but the heavyweight was still active, although it was malfunctioning.

The Black Wolf was pushed into the same building as Cael and Vai, by the Eagle Eye quadraped that Cael had dropped a wall on earlier. The quadraped engaged it's sniper cannon and tried firing at the Black Wolf only to hit the heavyweight Monarch bipedal instead, disabling it, when the Black Wolf dodged. "Cael's down," Noland reported.

"This isn't goin' well," Lewis said sarcastically.

Vai sat in her cockpit, still shaking, still crying but she had looked up to see Cael's AC with a stake skewering the cockpit. Seeing the sight along with hearing Cael's words stirred her as the Black Wolf and the Eagle Eye quadraped fought in front of her. She took the controls of the Black Iron and had it pushed Cael's AC away, punching the heavyweight as it did. The quadraped saw Vai and tried firing it's missiles at it however the Black Iron shrugged off the hits then tackled the quadraped, bashing the quadraped's Core.

"Vai's back," Noland laughed.

"Vai, ya okay? What happened?" Lewis asked.

"Yeah," Vai answered, still shaking, "I'm okay,"

"Cael and Alex are down," Noland said.

"Guys, heads up. The two middleweights that were searching for me're heading for the city," Alessia warned.


	65. Chapter 23-1

**Act III**

 **Chapter 23-1**

 **Battle Royale Part III**

Week 21 - Day 6

Loser's Finals

5 Team Battle Royale

The whistling sound of missiles followed the booms and bangs from missile launchers as swarms of missiles flew up into the air. Seconds later, missile after missile hit the ground and buildings one after another. The building that Noland, Vai and Cael were in collapsed from being hit by dozens of missiles. The Black Iron and Black Wolf escaped as the rubble fell atop the disabled ACs inside.

Outside the city, the Blackbird drove through the forest at high speed, searching for the AC firing the missiles. Alessia quickly examined the terrain as it flew past her screens, searching. "I'm going after the one firing the missiles," Alessia told her teammates, "Hang in there guys,"

"Deviatin' from the plan a bit aren't ya?" Lewis asked.

"Noland, this was your job," Alessia joked.

"I'll pay you back after," Noland said sarcastically.

The two middleweights that had been in the forest searching for the Blackbird had entered the city and spotted the Black Raven ACs. They opened fire immediately, firing their missiles at the Black Wolf and Black Iron. Noland put the Black Wolf behind the Black Iron and the Black Iron defended the Black Wolf from the barrage of missiles. Booms and bangs could be heard, then the whistling sounds as another volley of missile flew up into the air.

The Black Wolf and the Black Iron drove in reverse, trying to escape the incoming barrage. The two middleweights that had been approaching them also fled the approaching missiles. Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom. The missiles could be heard hitting the ground one after the other.

"Found you," Alessia yelled as she aimed and fired the Blackbird's rifle at the tank AC, belonging to team Monarch, that was responsible for firing the missiles. The tank AC quickly turned it's Core towards the Blackbird and fired several direct fire missiles. Alessia dodged the missiles, not slowing the Blackbird down, as she continued firing the Blackbird's rifle and fired a barrage of her own missiles at the tank. The tank attempted to flee but seeing this, Alessia focused her fire on the tank AC's treads, quickly damaging them, preventing the AC from escaping. "Got him-"

Alessia groaned as the Blackbird shook, violently, and several alarms began to go off inside the cockpit. The on screen damage reports told Alessia that both of the Blackbird's hind legs had suffered critical damage. She turned the Blackbird's head to see that a bipedal AC with a giant claw-like weapon was now ripping off the Blackbird's left arm where her shield was. The bipedal AC was heavily damaged itself with it's head and Core having suffered so much damage that Alessia could see the AC's inner workings. Alessia quickly tried to aim the Blackbird's rifle at the AC but she was too slow and the bipedal crushed the Blackbird's remaining arm before doing the same to the Blackbird's Core, disabling it.

"Alessia's down," Lewis informed Vai and Noland.

"What? What happened? Did she get the AC firing the missiles?" Noland asked.

"Yeah, but that guy from the Rangers took her out right after," Lewis told him.

"The guy with the claw?" Noland asked.

"Yep,"

"Look out," Vai warned as one of the middleweights fired missiles from it's shoulder launchers. The Black Wolf and Black Iron dodged the missiles. The second middleweight came from around the corner on the Black Wolf's flank, firing it's rifle and back mounted missile launcher at the Black Wolf. With little time to react, Noland instinctively turned the Black Wolf to it's left side instead of dodging, causing the Black Wolf's left arm and leg to take the damage from the middleweight's attacks.

"Vai...!" Noland shouted as he drove the Black Wolf into the middleweight that had just damaged him. The Black Wolf dropped it's near empty machinegun and grabbed the middleweight's head, holding the AC in place.

Vai saw what Noland was attempting to do and she circled behind the middleweight, firing the Black Iron's autocannons at the middleweight's cockpit. The other middleweight saw this and rushed to the aid of it's comrade, firing wildly at the Black Raven ACs as it closed in. Vai backed the Black Iron away as the middleweight arrived and focused on the Black Wolf. Noland chuckled as he detonated the Black Wolf's adhesive mines, spewing adhesive over all three of the bipedals.

"You're the last of us," Lewis informed Vai as he looked at the scoreboard, "there are only three ACs left, including you... now there's two,"

"Two or three...?" Vai asked, but she realized that she didn't need to. She had been driving the Black Iron along a street and down another street when she saw the bipedal with the claw-like weapon towering over a crushed one legged bipedal.

"Two," Lewis answered.

The bipedal dashed at the Black Iron as Vai fired the Black Iron's autocannons but the bipedal used it's claw weapon as a shield to guard against Vai's attacks. A moment later, the Black Iron's autocannons had run out of ammo and the bipedal lunged at the Black Iron with it's claw. Vai tried backing away but the claw had grabbed the Black Iron's arm and as Vai backed away, ripped the armor from it.

Vai raised the Black Irons armor stripped arm up to defend it from the bipedal's claw while she fiddled with the controls, inputing several commands into her keypad, but the bipedal's claw grabbed the arm and crushed it. Vai then tried grabbing the bipedal but the bipedal placed it's other arm in the Black Iron's grip. It was too late to release the bipedal by the time Vai realized that the bipedal had a pile driver weapon mounted on on the arm that the Black Iron was grasping. The pile driver drove a stake into the Black Iron's arm and the force of the impact shattered the arm from the inside.

Vai backed away and used the momentum from the impact to help turn the Black Iron's back to the bipedal. She flipped several switches and the Black Iron's back unit kicked in. The top and bottom of the unit unfolded, revealing four arms with clamps, two at the top and two at the bottom. The top clamps grabbed the bipedal's arms while the bottom clamps grabbed the bipedal's legs then the bipedal struggled but was helpless as the center of the unit opened to reveal two ridged arms. The arms found the place where the bipedal's Core joined with it's legs, then began to squeeze the AC tightly. The sound of metal being crushed and bent echoed through the city. A minute later, an electric buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the match.

It was dark. The sound of metal banging and bending could be heard in the dark. People were talking, saying things, speaking muffled, indiscernable words. Minutes later, a light illuminated the dark and Cael could see his hands along with the giant stake in front of him. The recovery crew finished prying open the cockpit and getting Cael out. He had no injuries but he was tired, stiff from the waiting. Cael looked around and saw that the other pilots had already been saved. He hitched a ride back to the arena hangar on a truck after getting a bottle of water.

"Who won?" Alexander asked after jumping off the truck that had recovered the Hawk. Lewis was sitting in a chair in the hangar with a look of relief on his face.

"Vai's known as the Iron Maiden for a reason ya know," Lewis sighed, a wide grin on his face.


	66. Chapter 23-2

**Act III**

 **Chapter 23-2**

 **?**

Week 21 - Day 6

"What happened to ya out there?" Lewis asked Vai. The six of them were in a locker room that was empty besides them, sitting on the benches.

"Nothing," Vai answered dismissively.

"You almost cost us the match," Cael said.

"We won, didn't we? Just drop it," Vai argued.

"I'm not gonna drop it," Cael said, raising his voice, "We fought our way here while you were out having a pity party,"

"Cael," Alessia chimed in.

"I'm with Cael on this one," Noland said, "We know where Alex's been this whole time. And he's been helping us most of the season, and got back in the cockpit after everything,"

"What do you want me to say?" Vai asked, "I'm sorry? But I'm not-"

"We want ya to tell us what's wrong with ya," Lewis sighed.

"There's nothing "wrong," and if there was, it wouldn't be any of your business," Vai said matter-of-factly.

"But Vai..." Alessia said softly, "It is our business. You're back on the team... you're our friend... you've known us for years..."

Vai rolled her eyes, got up off the bench and left the locker room. The others watched in an uncomfortable silence, none of them knowing what to say to their teammate. Lewis sighed, frustrated with the situation.

"Now what," Noland asked, looking to Lewis and Alessia for an answer. They looked at each other with strange expressions. "What...?"

"Well..." Lewis said, scratching his head.

"We spent a lot of money getting us and the ACs over here," Alessia explained.

"We're not stuck over here are we?" Noland asked, half joking, half serious.

"No," Alessia laughed, "We're not stuck here... but with the damage the ACs took this time... and the costs to get us back..."

"We may be in trouble getting to the Finals," Lewis said.

"What?" Alexander asked, confused.

"We're broke...," Alessia said flatly, "so I'm considering, selling off the ACs and forfeiting the Finals,"

"What...?" Noland asked. Cael locked eyes with Alessia for a moment and then left the locker room. The others watched as Cael left, slamming the door behind him. "I think he's angry,"

"He took it better than expected," Lewis sighed.

"If we're broke, how'd you get us here in the first place?" Alexander asked.

"That's a long story," Alessia said dismissively, "I'll explain that after the season's out,"


	67. Chapter 24-1

**Act III**

 **Chapter 24-1**

 **?**

Week 22 - Day 1

Vai opened her front door to see Lewis standing on the other side. Vai closed the door on him but he began knocking again so Vai opened the door again. "What?" she asked.

"Just wanted to talk is all," Lewis said. Vai sighed and left the door open as she went to the kitchen. Lewis entered, closing the door behind him. "Doin' some cleanin'?" he asked, tapping a bag of glass bottles with his foot.

"What do you want?" Vai asked, coming back into the room with a bottle in her hand.

"To talk," Lewis said.

"Yeah... no one comes here to "talk" these days," Vai said pointedly.

"Yeah well, I do," Lewis joked.

"If you're not going to tell me what you want then you can leave," Vai said angrily.

"Fine, fine," Lewis conceded, "Wanted ya to come with me to see Charles,"

"Can't,"

"Can I ask why not?"

"No,"

"Ya know... there's still a chance he may not get out. Ya support would mean a lot to him right now,"

"And he has it... but I'm busy today,"

"Alright alright. If ya change ya mind, I'm headin' over there in a bit, so..."

"We still training?" Vai asked as Lewis turned to leave.

"Nah... no cash to book sim time," Lewis explained, "Besides. Alessia'll probably officially forfeit the match before the week's out,"

"It was nice to see the five o' ya out there together one last time," Lewis said before leaving.

Shortly after Lewis had departed, Vai prepared her a clean set clothes and then took a long, cold shower, washing her hair as well. When she had finished and dried her hair, she put on the clean clothes she had then headed out the door right after. She was about to get on the elevator but she stopped and went back to her apartment where she grabbed the bottle she had been drinking from when Lewis was there.

Vai was escorted through the building, it's blue walls surprisingly calming. People could be heard laughing and talking throughout the hallway and in the various rooms Vai passed by. After a minute of walking, she and the nurse had arrived at the living area of the drug rehabilitation facility. Her mother was already there, sitting at one of the tables waiting for her. Vai's mother hugged Vai as soon as she was within reach and the two sat at the table.

"You look so good," her mother said enthusiastiically.

"Yeah..." Vai said.

"My doctors said I've made a lot of progress in these few weeks I've been here,"

"They told me. Wouldn't've been able to see you otherwise,"

"I was so excited when they told me you'd come to see me," Vai's mother said, sniffling.

"If you're going to cry, I'm going to leave," Vai said angrily. Her mother took a deep breath and quickly wiped away the tears that had begun to build up in her eyes.

"So," she said, "how are you? How've you been?"

"Okay," Vai answered, "I'm back on the team... was back on the team,"

"Was? Why? What happened?"

"Nothing, just... money problems,"

"Oh... I'm, sorry to hear,"

"The reason I came here was to tell you that there's a good chance that dad could be getting out," Vai said.

"Really?" Vai's mother said in surprise, "That's amazing! You two can finally spend some time together!"

"You're crying again..." Vai pointed out. Tears had begun to flood from her mother's eyes.

"I've wanted you two to have time together for so long..." her mother cried, happy.

Vai talked to her mother about whatever random topics her mother inquired about. Later, one of the nurses informed Vai that it was time for her to leave and she was escorted back to the front door. Vai asked the nurse if she could use a phone and was guided to one nearby.

Lewis stood at the graves, reflecting on the names etched into the two tombstones. They were the names of Arthur and Alyssa Saint Claire. Lewis sighed and glacned at the man wearing all black clothing who was approaching him. The man was old, about Lewis' age, his black hair grayed significantly and his face had a scar on the left side that ran from his forehead all the way down to his neck.

"Victor," Lewis said, his voice low.

"Lewis," Victor said, "You haven't been by in a while,"

"Been busy," Lewis explained.

"Getting Charles out I hear. It's been all over the news,"

"The hearing's in a few days,"

"If I'd have known you were going to do this with the information, I wouldn't have given it to you,"

"Doe'n't matter now, does it?"

"I suppose not..."

"Thanks,"

"For what?" Victor asked as he walked away.

"I wish we could all go back," Lewis said, mostly to himself.

"To what? Kids with heads full of ideas and no clue how to get anything done?" Victor stopped to ask, the question making Lewis chuckle.

"When ya put it like that..."

"There's a storm coming," Victor said as he left the cemetery. A drop of rain hit Lewis' hand and Lewis left the cemetary shortly after. Once he was back in his car, he checked his phone and saw that Vai had left him a message. He chuckled and turned the car on.

"Glad ya decided to come," Lewis said as he and Vai were escorted to the visiting area. Vai didn't say anything just walked in silence, causing Lewis to laugh. The two went over to Charles' table where he had been sitting and Charles' face expressed his happiness at the sight of Vai.

"Ya grandma didn't kill her at least, but I think she got grumpier," Lewis joked.


	68. Chapter 24-2

**Act III**

 **Chapter 24-2**

 **?**

Week 22 - Day 3

Alessia pulled up to the Black Raven hangar, baffled by what she was seeing. Several large trucks were parked around the hangar and one was backing into the hangar. She shook Cael awake and he was also surprised to see the sight. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I... don't know," Alessia answered as she parked the car and got out, quickly walking to the hangar. Cael stretched and yawned before following after Alessia.

Alessia was astonished by what she saw in the hangar. Black Raven's crew was working in tandem with several crews that Alessia had not seen before. A large container was being brought in by the truck that was backing into the hangar while several men helped get the container off the truck and into the hangar where the crewmen opened it. Inside were several AC parts including weapons. Alessia ran up to the office but found no one so she went back down to the floor and searched through the crowd of men.

"Alessia," Alexander called out. He was surrounded by men who were waiting for him to sign their sheets. Alessia ran over to him, making her way through the crowded hangar and reaching him as he finished signing the last of the sheets.

"What's going on? What is all this?" Alessia asked, looking around the busy hangar.

"Dr. Vinheim apparently. Me and some of the guys just got here and they were already here," Alexander explained. He pointed over to Lewis who was talking to Dr. Vinheim as he directed some of the crewmen. Alessia thanked him and went over to where Lewis was.

"What is all this?" Alessia asked.

"A break," Lewis said with a grin.

"Miss Saint Claire,"Dr. Vinheim greeted.

"AC parts?" Alessia asked.

"Well, some are," Dr. Vinheim said, pointing to the hangar doors where another truck backed in and had it's container opened. Several mechanical clicks sounded off followed by a mechanical whirring as the crewmen took the tarp off of what was in the container.

"Is that..." Alessia began but was too awestruck by what she was seeing to finish her question.

"You all have really impressed that client of mine. He promised to fund my research if I assisted you first. Hard to turn down," Dr. Vinheim explained as the crewmen unloaded the white bipedal AC onto the hangar floor. Alessia watched as Cael entered the hangar and his gaze was immediately drawn to the white AC. Noland was with Cael and he left Cael staring up at the white AC to come over Alessia.

"Is that a new White Wolf?" Noland asked.

"I... think so," Alessia answered, looking to Dr. Vinheim for an answer.

"Indeed it is," Dr. Vinheim laughed, "Our best work yet,"

"I think Cael likes it," Noland laughed.

"I didn't just bring things for Mr. Nox," Dr. Vinheim said, "My client has heard of your mother and father's exploits Miss Saint Claire. And he's a fan of the Blackbird's, specifically-"

"No way," Alessia interrupted.

"And I couldn't leave Mr. North out," Dr. Vinheim said, "We didn't have enough resources to create a new Black Wolf but we were able to create several parts that should be compatible with it,"

"I'm callin' it. Dr. Vinheim is officially Santa Claus," Noland said happily.

"Unfortunately we did not know anything about the Hawk and the Black Iron since those two weren't around during the original Black Raven years and you haven't been using them much this year, so we were not able to do much for them outside of armaments," Dr. Vinheim said.

"Dr. Vinheim, we were going to forfeit the match," Alessia informed the doctor, "Now, we don't have to because of you,"

"You give me too much credit. I'm humbled," Dr. Vinheim said, bowing.

"Uh, I don't think he's gonna move from there if someone doesn't snap him out of it," Noland said, pointing to Cael who was standing still and staring up at the new White Wolf. They laughed and Alessia went over to him.

Alessia approached Cael and followed his eyes, looking up at the White Wolf and realized that she too found it hard to take her eyes off of the white AC. She and Cael stood side by side staring up at the it as the crewmen finished securing it. The new White Wolf was slimmer than most other middle weight ACs and looked as if it were a light weight. It's design more closely resembled that of the original White Wolf although it was far more sleek and streamlined. The head was a mix of a wolf's head and a knight's helmet. The wolf's eyes were two cameras and two cameras were under those in the mouth next to the fangs. It's Core was adorned with a wolf's head, lined with black and silver.

"It's beautiful," Alessia said.

"Does this mean we're fighting them?" Cael asked.

"Dr. Vinheim's given us a lot of stuff for the ACs... so yeah, I think we are," Alessia answered. "We should probably take some pictures. It's definitely not getting out of there without a fight,"

"Alessia, you might wanna come see this," Alexander yelled. Alessia looked over to the hangar doors where another truck had unloaded it's container. The crewmen had already opened it and inside was AC parts that Alessia found strikingly familiar. Alessia rubbed Cael on the back and laughed when he continued gazing at the White Wolf before she headed over to the container.

"That's... no... no way," Alessia said, fumbling with her words, "Dr. Vinheim... I thought you were just bringing replacement parts for the Blackbird... These aren't just replacement parts. They're-"

"Upgrades," Dr. Vinheim interrupted, "Well... upgraded old parts I suppose. The original concept of the Blackbird was too far ahead of it's time but with the technology available today, well... It took us a while to figure it out but we did. We didn't have the resources to build an entire AC but combining these parts with whatever of the Blackbird's original parts you have left should allow you to access it's full capabilities,"

"This is... incredible," Alessia said in shock.

"I'm kinda excited to see mine," Noland joked.

They stood aside and let the crewmen store the Blackbird's new parts in the hangar. Then, several minutes later, another truck with another container backed into the hangar and the crewmen unloaded the container, opening it to reveal many large pieces of metal. Alessia laughed as Noland's face expressed disappointment.

"I thought you made new parts for the Black Wolf?" Noland asked.

"You ingrate," Alessia scolded.

"Our resources were limited, I'm afraid," Dr. Vinheim said apologetically.

"I don't get it. What's this?" Lewis asked.

"They... look like AC frames..." Alexander said, unsure.

"Correct," Dr. Vinheim assured, "We noticed Mr. North's tendency to get caught in his own mines. So we created frames and joints coated with an anti-adhesive that should let the Black Wolf move. Though it doesn't mean the Black Wolf will be completely immune to it's own adhesives,"

"That... is awesome," Noland said excited.

"That isn't the only thing we made for the Black Wolf though," Dr. Vinheim said as the crewmen removed a tarp from an AC arm.

"An arm?" Alexander asked.

"Just the forearm and armor plating," Dr. Vinheim corrected.

"It looks like the White Wolf's," Alessia pointed out. Lewis wore a smirk as he slammed his hand down on Noland's shoulder.

"I think the doctor's been doin' his homework," Lewis joked.

"Indeed I have. The Black Wolf and the White Wolf were originally designed as siblings. We couldn't build a new Black Wolf from scratch but I figured we could do something for it. Shoulder armor resembling a wolf's head and a forearm with the same functions as that of the one on the White Wolf," Dr. Vinheim explained.

"Functions?" Noland asked.

"There's a machinegun built into the forearm," Dr. Vinheim explained.

Lewis, Alessia, Cael, Noland and Alexander stood on the catwalk looking down at the now cluttered hangar floor. Dr. Vinheim's crews had already left and the Black Raven crew that had not yet gone home were doing their best to organize things. "I'm callin' it an evenin'," Lewis yawned as he stretched, "Got a hearin' tomorrow,"

"Same. Need some sleep now because I doubt I'll be getting much," Alexander added.

"I'm gonna go call Vai and give her the good news," Alessia said, heading back to the office.

"Stare too long and you'll go blind," Noland said sarcastically, patting Cael on the shoulder as he headed towards the stairs.

"Where you goin'?" Cael asked, finally turning his attention away from the White Wolf.

"Where else? To see my mom," Noland answered, "I'll tell her you said "hi","


	69. Chapter 24-3

**Act III**

 **Chapter 24-3**

 **?**

Week 23 - Day 1

The building was packed full of people dressed in formal and fancy clothing. It was late, the sun had gone down and the sky was dark. The moon shined as bright as the lights of the city but it's light was softer, more calming.

Noland sat at the bar counter, dressed in a black suit, white shirt and black tie with black shoes. He was drinking a glass of water and watching the tv behind the counter. Ironically, the channel was tuned to the local news network and the thing being covered was the Armored Core Fighting League Finalist Gala, the event which Noland was at presently.

"Come here often?" a woman asked, taking a seat next to Noland at the bar. The woman was dressed in a long black dress. Her long, curly, light brown hair reached down just pass her shoulder and framed her face.

"All the time," Noland lied, "In fact, I own the place,"

"Liar," the woman laughed.

"You should look pretty more often," Noland taunted, "I barely recognized you,"

"Shut up you jackass," Alessia said, pretending to be angry.

"Where're the others?"

"Lewis said he wasn't coming. The hearing for Vai's dad was yesterday. I don't think Alex's left the hangar since Wednesday. Vai said she might come but she was at the hangar earlier helping Alex tune the Black Iron's new arms," Alessia explained.

"And Cael?"

"He came with me,"

"Really?" Noland asked, looking around, "Where is he?"

"Beats me. He just went off somewhere when we got in,"

"He wearing a dress too?" Noland joked.

"Oh yeah," Alessia said, playing along, "It's pink with frills. And he's wearing a wig with a pretty bow,"

"Ah," Noland cringed, "Too much, too much,"

Vai sat in the cockpit of the Black Iron, trying to get her AC to lift it's arm but the arm stayed still while a mechanical clicking sound came from the arm's joint. Vai sighed, and sat back in her seat. She climbed out of the already open cockpit and and stretched. "It's still not working," she yelled down to Alexander.

"There's a problem with the connector," Alexander thought to himself, as Vai bounded down the stairs from the platform, "We're gonna have to tinker with it,"

"You not going to the Gala?" Vai asked, picking up her bottle of water.

"As you can see, getting us fight ready is gonna take a lot of time," Alexander told her while examining the Black Iron's blueprints on a computer, "What about you? You didn't need to be here for this ya know?"

"I never liked those things anyway. Besides, all my classy clothes are long in a dumpster," Vai said. "So, you not gonna ask me about..."

"Nope,"

"Well... thanks,"

"It's not that I wasn't curious. I was, but I already know what happened," Alexander said.

"Doubt it," Vai said smugly.

"You were afraid of dying," Alexander said, his words causing Vai to choke on the water she had just swallowed. Alexander laughed. "It's the same for me, kinda. Froze up because I just kept thinking, "What if something happens? What if the cockpit gets smashed and my hands get mangled?" and I just froze,"

"You're not afraid anymore? We're fighting them again," Vai said.

"No. I am afraid... but freezing up in a fight, making yourself a sitting duck. I don't think that helps... Could you go start up the OS's safe mode?"

"Y-yeah..." Vai said, going back up the platform to get back inside the Black Iron's cockpit.

Noland, Alessia and several others in the group laughed. The group consisted of several AC pilots from several other teams and they had gathered on the floor to talk. Alessia spoke with the pilots of team Amazon who were again attempting to recruit her but Alessia continued to find creative ways to turn down their offer. Noland was speaking with the pilots from team Underdogs, now named team Devil Dogs after switching the team's main sponsors.

The pilots of team Dread Scythe entered the room and all eyes were on the champions as they walked through the door being greeted with applause. "Wow," Alessia said to Noland, "Is that their third pilot? Dusk?"

"Yeah," Noland answered.

"I've never seen her without her helmet on," Alessia said, staring wide-eyed as Dusk and her teammates met with other guests. "She looks so pretty,"

"This will be many people's first time seeing her," Valorie said.

"You'd think they kept her locked in a basement or something," Rue joked.

"Looks good for being locked in a basement," Aster said sarcastically, "I'd date her,"

"Even if she looked like a corpse she'd be out of your league," Trish mocked.

The three Dread Scythe pilots seperated and all but disappeared into the crowd of other guests. Noland kept his eyes on Dusk and excused himself to follow her after she left the main room. She went up the stair to the third floor of the building that was also being used for the party. Most of the guests were on the first and second floors so the third had only small groups of people scattered about.

Noland followed her out onto one of the empty balconies where she stood looking out at the city and the moon that hung over it. He didn't approach her at first, instead choosing to watch her at a distance. A minute passed and Noland became fairly certain that she would be standing there for a while so he walked over.

The two didn't speak, just stared at the city and the moon. There were several clouds in the sky, some of them passing by and hiding the moon. Noland sighed, tapping his fist on the balcony railing as he struggled to think of what to say.

"Solomon says I shouldn't speak to you anymore," Dusk said as Noland was about to say something.

"You just did," Noland joked half-heartedly. "Did Solomon make you do it? Or Laurence?" Noland asked after a moment of silence.

"No," Dusk said, her voice flat and lifeless.

"Did you have to do it?" Noland asked.

"No," Dusk said after a pause.

"Did..." Noland hesitated, "did you want to do it?"

"No..." Dusk answered after a long pause.

"I told you that I wouldn't know how I felt until I met the person face to face... and then when I saw it was you... I was angry... and sad," Noland explained, "I... and then you said what you did to me and friends was on purpose... I was angry because I wanted to be angry, because I felt I should've been angry. But right now, I'm not angry... it just all went away. I'm not angry at you,"

Dusk turned to leave but Noland gently grabbed her wrist to stop her. "I need to know," Noland said, pleading, "Are you and your friends going to do it again?"

Dusk tried to pull away but Noland held her there. She soon gave up, turning to face Noland and looking him straight in the eye. "Yes," she said, her voice still lifeless but somehow colder. Noland could see tears beginning to build up in her eyes and the sight made Noland's eyes tear up as well. She yanked her arm free from Noland's grasp and walked off, leaving Noland on the balcony alone.

Noland stayed on the balcony for a while, trying to compose himself. When he felt adequately adjusted, he sighed, straightened his clothes and headed back downstairs. Down on the first floor, Alessia and Eliza were sitting together at the bar. Noland spotted the two of them and headed over.

"I thought you had been kidnapped," Alessia said sarcastically, "or that you and Cael finally went on that romantic getaway you two've been planning on,"

"Ha ha," Noland fake laughed.

"Have you seen Cael?" Eliza asked, "Alessia says he's here but I haven't seen him at all,"

"He wasn't on the third floor," Noland answered.

"We'll find him. Anyway, listen to this. Eliza, tell him what you told me," Alessia said, leaning back so Eliza could speak with Noland directly.

"So apparently, Dread Scythe has a fourth pilot who didn't show up. They just hired him as a substitute," Eliza said.

"Uh huh, real interesting..." Noland dismissed.

"Don't you get what this means?" Alessia asked, excited.

"Is it really that big a deal?" Noland answered.

"Huge," Eliza said, "Everyone's been saying that you guys have the best shot at beating them-"

"And that Dread Scythe thinks so too," Alessia added, "that's why they got a substitute this time-"

"No one's ever even heard of the guy so people are guessing that he isn't that good a pilot-"

"And proof of that is that he didn't show up with them here tonight-"

"Which also might mean that their plan B is to win by points," Eliza concluded.

Noland gave the two an exagerated look to express how weirded out he was, "You two know that you're finishing each other's sentences right?" he asked sarcastically.

"Did you hear anything we said?" Alessia asked, punching Noland in the shoulder.

The cold wind was blowing, moving Cael's long black hair with it. Cael was on the roof of the building, his eyes on the arena's dome. A door slammed shut behind him but Cael ignored the sound because he already knew who it was.

"I was looking for you," Solomon said. He walked over to where Cael was standing, keeping distance between them. Cael didn't look at him, keeping his eyes focued on the arena. "After a while, I began to think you wouldn't be here. Should have guessed that you would be up here,"

The two stood silent, Cael watching the arena and Solomon watching the city's many bright lights. Half an hour later and neither of the two had made a sound while below them, people were beginning to leave the building.

"I do enjoy these little talks... I'm sure you know," Solomon said, "you were right to think that we did what we did on purpose,"

His words caught Cael's attention and Cael took his eyes off of the arena, training them on Solomon. "I can only imagine how you must feel... but if it's any consolation... it wasn't personal,"

Cael turned his attention back onto the arena and Solomon chuckled. "You and I both know how our next battle is going to turn out. Don't we? Even so, I meant what I said. You are still by far the best pilot I have faced since doing... all this... So... goodluck this Saturday,"

Solomon turned to face Cael and extended his hand. Cael glanced at Solomon's hand, then to Solomon's face and Cael saw the grin that Solomon wore along with his eyes, looking down at Cael, waiting to see Cael's reaction as if he knew what it would be. Cael smirked and shook Solomon's hand. Cael's smirk turned into a grin when he saw Solomon look surprised.

Cael let go of Solomon's hand and walked towards the door that lead back into the building. He stopped at the door and laughed to himself. "Something funny?" Solomon asked having heard Cael's laughter.

"Yeah," Cael said, "It is personal,"

Cael opened the door, entering the building and closing it behind him.


	70. Chapter 24-4

**Act III**

 **Chapter 24-4**

 **?**

Week 23 - Day 6

Lewis, Alessia, Cael, Noland, Vai and Alexander stood together, facing the arena. It was dark out but the lights from the city, around the arena along with the moon's light helped the six of them see. "For a while, I thought we'd never do this again," Lewis said. He went to his car and pulled out the cooler he kept in the trunk. "As per usual, Alessia took the liberty of throwin' out the beer so, water and soda for all,"

"Why break tradition?" Alessia teased. Lewis threw her a bottle of water and the others came to the cooler to pick which drinks they wanted.

Alessia and Vai sat on the hood of her car. Lewis sat in the passenger's seat of his car while Alexander sat on the hood and Noland sat on the roof. Cael stood, his eyes fixed on the arena. "Been a long road here," Lewis sighed, noticing that Cael's attention was focused on the arena.

"Too long. Lost an arm gettin' here," Noland joked.

"And some brain cells," Alexander mocked.

"You need brain cells to lose 'em," Alessia joined in.

"Hey, I got a brain. Just don't use it much is all," Noland said.

"Sure," Alexander said.

"Why use your brain when you got looks like these," Noland said, gesturing to his face.

"I've seen dead dogs that look better than you," Vai joked.

"Ah, you've always been jealous of me looks," Noland dismissed.

"Honestly... why couldn't you be a quiet dumbass... like Cael?" Vai asked. Everyone laughed except Cael who still had not taken his eyes off of the arena.

"Someone's focused," Lewis mumbled.

"Earth to moody," Noland called, throwing his empty water bottle at Cael's head, "do aliens laugh where you're from?"

"Ha... ha..." Cael laughed robotically, causing everyone to laugh.

"It's gettin' late... early," Lewis yawned, "We been workin' hard all week. We should all get home and get some rest,"

"In fact, take the day off," Alessia added.

"Take the day off? We still don't have a plan," Alexander pointed out.

"We probably won't come up with one either," Lewis said, standing and stretching, "No need to lose sleep over it though,"

"Cael's suppose to be the reckless one," Noland joked.

"Yeah, well, Cael's a bad influence on ol' folks," Lewis dismissed.

"No speech this time? No wise words of wisdom?" Vai asked sarcastically.

"Hmm..." Lewis said, thinking, "Go take the day off. Get some rest and take time to reflect on how it is we got here,"

"Is there some, deep hidden meaning behind any of that?" Alexander asked, making the others laugh.

"No, ya wise asses. Just some instructions from a senior citizen," Lewis said.

As the sun began to rise on the horizon, the Black Raven members got ready to leave. Alessia walked up to Cael, who's eyes were still fixed on the arena, and put her hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his trance. "Time to go," she told him.


	71. Chapter 25-1

**Act III**

 **Chapter 25-1**

 **?**

Week 23 - Day 7

The arena was filled to capacity and even the outside of the arena was crowded with hundreds of thousands of people. The whole of the city was alive, buzzing with energy. The monitors and TVs throughout the city were broadcasting coverage of the grand finals.

"You're gonna be late," Noland's mother shouted as Noland came in, running to her bed, Lewis and Vai behind him. He kissed his mom on the cheek and she kissed him, pushing him away while rushing him.

"Needed my good luck," Noland joked.

"Hi, misses North," Vai said, hugging her.

"Vai! It's been so long! You look well," Anna said.

"Mrs. North," Lewis said, pretending to tip the hat he didn't have.

"You guys are going to be late! What are you doing here?" Anna asked, surprised.

"We're runnin' late anyway. May as well spend a few seconds doin' somethin' worthwhile," Lewis said.

"See ya soon mom. We'll bring the trophy by so you can see it," Noland said, waving as he and the others left.

"Closed for the day," Joe said, turning down a man who had come to do business. The Line was filled with workers, all looking at the several monitors around the hangar that were tuned in to the ACFL Grand Finals coverage. Outside, a car horn blew and and Alessia waved to Joe when Joe saw who it was. "Alex! Your ride's here,"

Alexander received cheers from the Line's workers as he ran to the front door, high fiving them as he passed by. He and Joe bumped elbows as he ran out the door then jumped into the front seat, throwing his jacket on Cael who was laying in the back, asleep. "We're running late aren't we?" Alexander asked as Alessia drove off.

"Noland overslept and Cael..." Alessia said, taking a quick glance at Cael, "is Cael,"

The Black Raven crew were hard at work in the arena hangar, doing their last minute preparations for the ACs and the pilots were putting on their pilot suits in the locker room. Dr. Vinheim was also in the locker room doing a last minute examination of Cael's Navis implant. After he was finished, he tapped Cael on the shoulder and Cael finished getting dressed. Alexander, Alessia and Noland had finished putting on their pilot suits. Vai sat on the bench across from Cael, staring at the Navis on port on Cael's lower back as he put on his shirt.

"Alessia filled me in on a lot of stuff these last few days..." Vai said as she finished putting on her boots.

"And...?" Cael asked as he zipped up his suit.

"And... The others think you're... obsessed with Solomon, with fighting him. But that isn't it, is it?" Vai asked knowingly.

"You trying to say something?"

"You were right before... I almost wasted all you guys' work,"

"You trying to apologize?"

"To you? Not a chance. I just wanted you to know... I'm with you..."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning... Being so obsessed with someone that you'd risk your life for a chance to get at them... That's not ego... is it?"

"You guys making out in here or what?" Alexander yelled from the locker room door.

"We're on our way," Cael said, grabbing his helmet and closing his locker.

"How is it?" Lewis asked over a video call. Alessia was in the Blackbird's cockpit, going through the AC's startup sequence and checking all it's systems.

"It's fine. Might be a bit overweight from all the extra stuff," Alessia said.

"Just remember not-"

"I know, I know,"

"The Black Wolf's good to go," Noland said, having joined the video call.

"Hawk too," Alexander said.

"These arms feel off balance but other than that, the Black Iron's fine," Vai said.

"Cael? Ya there?" Lewis asked.

"Yeah," Cael answered.

"How're the Blitz Arms?" Lewis asked.

"Docking now," Cael said. The crew were attaching the Blitz Arms to the back of the White Wolf. They attached to the White Wolf via docking ports in four places on the back of the Core. The White Wolf's armaments were carried by the Blitz Arms as well as an extra pair of shields with two auxillary boosters built beneath the cockpit them.

"Power transfer complete. Power flow stable. Temperature stable. Hmm... It looks like everything checks out," Dr. Vinheim said, examining the White Wolf's status. "I'm owed data on the Blitz Arms, Cael. Be sure to get me as much as you can,"

"And if I break it?" Cael asked.

"Well, as long as you don't break it before I get my data," Dr. Vinheim joked.

"Y'all ready?" Lewis asked.

"We never did come up with a plan," Alexander pointed out.

"There's no plan we could come up with that they just won't power through," Alessia said.

"Focus on ya movements an' switch up ya patterns. Don't be predictable. Fight as a team usin' team tactics an' watch your spacin'," Lewis said, his voice serious.

"Words of wisdom?" Noland asked.

"Ya coach, coachin' ya. The only thing he can do in this situation," Lewis answered, "... Alright... let's get this show on the road..."


	72. Chapter 25-2

**Act III**

 **Chapter 25-2**

 **The Dread Throne**

Week 23 - Day 7

Grand Finals

Black Raven vs Dread Scythe

"Oh... my... god..." Alessia gasped, her eye's wide in disbelief.

Making their way through the city were the Dread Scythe ACs and the Black Raven pilots, as well as spectators around the world, were surprised to what was accompanying them. The Dread Scythe ACs all had upgrades but the one that was catching the world's eyes was the the Dark Queen. It's Core was connected to a large mobile platform, far larger than the size of the average AC tank legs.

"That's... an Armored Support Platform..." Alexander said, "but... if they're using that then..."

"There's an ASP that actually passes the ACFL's safety regulations..." Alessia thought out loud.

"That thing's a fortress!" Vai yelled.

"Registration says it's called the Dread Throne," Lewis informed the pilots, viewing the information on the unit, "The designation for it when it's docked to the Dark Queen is, "Dread Queen","

"Here they come!" Noland pointed out.

The Black Raven ACs were lying in wait, hiding in buildings as the Dread Scythe ACs made their way down the street towards the Black Raven ambush. Before Black Raven sprang their ambush, the Dread Queen fired a volley of missiles from the vertical missile launchers built into the Dread Throne's rear, hitting several buildings, including the ones where the Black Raven ACs were hiding. Noland was forced to drive the Black Wolf out onto the street after the building he was in began to collapse completely.

The moment the Black Wolf was out on the street, the Dread Queen opened fire, firing the two cannons that sat on top of the Dread Throne's back. The Black Wolf narrowly dodged the attacks and the cannon shells broke apart, embedding large shrapnel in several buildings near where they impacted the road. "Dusk..." Noland mumbled.

"The Blaze Knight and the Fina are staying behind the Dark Queen," Alessia pointed out.

"Do they think she can take us by herself?" Vai asked.

"Doesn't matter," Alessia said, "We'll use this opportunity to take it out. Everyone, focus on the Dark Queen. Alex, try to take out it's head,"

The Hawk took aim at the Dark Queen's head, firing but Alexander was surprised when the Dread Thrones arms changed angles, blocking the shot. He gasped and immediately moved the Hawk as a volley of missiles came towards the building he was in. The Hawk drove down the ramps, getting to the bottom floor and exiting the building as some of the building floors crashed down. Alexander found himself under gatlingun fire from the built in gatlinguns in the Dread Throne's arms.

"How much firepower does that thing have?" Alexander groaned. The Hawk jumped and fired it's grappling hooks behind it, hooking into a building, then swinging the Hawk around the corner.

Alessia drove the Blackbird up onto the roof of the building she had been hiding in and took aim at the Dread Queen with the rifle the Blackbird carried in it's hand while at the same time, locking onto the Dread Queen with the missiles that the Blackbird carried in the launchers mounted on it's legs. "Cael, Vai...!" Alessia called out to her comrades as she fired. At the same time, Vai fired the Black Iron's autocannons from one of the upper floors of another building.

The Dread Queen blocked the Blackbird's rifle shot by lifting the Dread Throne's arm to act as a shield while, at the same time, shooting down all of the Blackbird's missiles in midair with anti-air turrets mounted onto the front of the Dread Throne. The Black Iron's autocannon rounds were blocked by a pair of shields mounted onto the Dread Throne's back that quickly went over the Dark Queens head to take up a position that would block the Black Iron's shots. The Dread Queen returned fire, launching another volley of missiles, all directed at Vai, and firing it's cannons at the Blackbird.

Vai moved the Black Iron deeper into the building, avoiding major damage as the building began to fall apart from the missile impact. Alessia fired several missiles before backing away from the edge of the roof just as the cannon shots ripped that corner of the building apart. A large slab of the building fell down at an angle, allowing the Blackbird to use it as a ramp to get down to the road. The Dread Queen didn't fire on the missiles that the Blackbird had launched and they landed around the machine at a distance, erupting into black smoke as they impacted the ground.

"Cael...!" Alessia shouted.

The White Wolf dashed into the smoke at full speed, passing right between the Fina and the Blaze Knight whose backs were to it. The White Wolf drew it's swords but Cael instinctively reacted to a loud whirring sound coming from straight ahead. Unable to see the threat because of the Black Smoke, Cael quickly put the White Wolf in reverse, driving back out of the black smoke.

"Did he get it?" Alexander asked.

"Cael?" Noland called.

Cael clenched his teeth as the smoke cleared and another set of the Dread Thrones arms that had tried to grab the White Wolf were revealed. The arms had been built into the side of the Dread Throne's rear and matched the ones that were currently at the sides of the Dark Queen. The smoke dissapated while the Fina and the Blaze Knight turned to face the White Wolf. The Dread Throne's hidden arms returned to their hidden position and the Dread Queen opened fire on the Blackbird that was still out in the open.

"It's still up!" Alexander said, surprised. He fired the Hawk's sniper rifle at the Dark Queen, trying to land a hit but the the Dread Throne's arms continued to defend the Dark Queen from harm.

The Blackbird dodged the incoming attacks from both the Dread Queen's gatinguns and cannons. Alessia had it take cover around the corner but was surprised when one of the Dread Queen's cannon shells ripped through the building's corner, almost hitting the Blackbird. "This thing's a monster..." she mumbled, thinking aloud.

The White Wolf stood off against the Fina and the Blaze Knight. Cael kept his eyes on the Blaze Knight, examining it and it's upgraded parts. Along with an upgraded rifle, the Blaze Knight also had an upgraded shield mounted on the shoulder and a sword carried on the back of it's legs. It's legs carried two more of the structures that hid it's rocket boosters and it's right arm now matched it's left arm, with a built in machinegun.

Cael readied himself, turning the White Wolf's shoulder mounted shields forward as the Blaze Knight aimed and fired it's rifle straight at the White Wolf. Cael tried moving the White Wolf out of the way but was surprised when the shot hit the White Wolf's right shoulder shield. Catching Cael off guard, the Fina jumped in, slashing with one of it's sickle swords and cutting into the White Wolf's left shoulder shield. The White Wolf moved backwards, switching the White Wolf's swords for it's shotguns but was shocked when the Fina bounded over the White Wolf's head.

Realizing that he was in danger, Cael quickly turned the White Wolf so that it's sides faced it's two attackers and immediately backed the White Wolf back against a building as the Blaze Knight fired another of it's rifle shots. The White Wolf fired it's shotguns at the two Dread Scythe ACs but they easily dodged the White Wolf's attacks. As it executed it's evasive maneuver, the Fina swiftly moved in front of the White Wolf and leap into the air above the white AC. Cael moved the White Wolf forward, trying to avoid the Fina as it was coming back down but the Blaze Knight had drawn it's sword, clashing against the White Wolf's shotguns to prevent it's escape. Cael quickly toggled the Blitz Arms' auxillary boosters and pushed the Blaze Knight back just as the Fina landed, the tip of it's sickle swords pointing down.

"Cael's in trouble," Lewis informed the others after seeing the White Wolf's video feed, "He's goin' up against Solomon and Laurence,"

The Black Wolf dodged the Dread Queen's missiles while the Hawk, using it's grappling hooks in conjunction with it's jumping abilities, leapt to the top of a building, taking aim and firing at the Dread Queen with it's sniper rifle. The Dread Throne's shields deployed in front of the Dark Queen, blocking the Hawk's attack. Meanwhile, the Blackbird was on the street, trying to close in on the Dread Queen but was being bombarded by gatlingun fire. The Black Iron took up position in front of the Blackbird, taking and shrugging off the gatlingun rounds then returning fire with it's upgraded autocannons that were built into it's arms. The Blackbird fired several smoke missiles at the road around it and the Black Iron then the two ACs got off the street as missiles bombarded the road where they would have been, the impacts blowing away the smoke.

"We won't be able to take this thing out head on," Alessia thought out loud.

"What do we do?" Alexander asked.

"Noland, get to Cael," Alessia ordered.

"But what about this thing?" Noland asked.

"We'll figure something out," Alessia assured him, "but Cael can't take on two of these guys at the same time,"

"Don't go overboard," Noland said, "Me and Cael'll handle the other two and come right back to help you guys,"

"We'll be done long before you guys," Vai said confidently. The Black Wolf dashed off into the city, circling around the Dread Queen as it fired it's weapons at the other Black Raven ACs.

The Blaze Knight and the Fina chased the White Wolf through the streets, attacking whenever the opportunity arose. The White Wolf fired the machineguns built into it's arms, attempting to keep it's attackers at bay but the two Dread Scythe ACs skillfully evaded the machinegun bullets. The Blaze Knight activated two of it's rockets, speeding pass the White Wolf and overtaking it. The White Wolf slowed to a stop as the Blaze Knight cut in front of it, firing it's rifle. Cael turned the White Wolf's shoulder shields forward, blocking the Blaze Knight's attacks but the impact from the shot caused the White Wolf to fall backwards.

Cael reacted quickly, changing the position of the small shield on the cockpit's back and placing it on top of the cockpit. This revealed the large wheel built into the back of the White Wolf's cockpit. When the White Wolf fell onto it's back, Cael was able to continue moving, driving the White Wolf forward and dodging the Fina as it slammed down into the road, attempting to crush the White Wolf.

The Blaze Knight fired it's rifle at the White Wolf but it was able to dodge the shots. As the White Wolf closed in on the Blaze Knight, Cael hit the brakes and used the Blitz Arms' shields to throw the White Wolf forward to force it upright. The White Wolf's shields were immediately hit by another rifle round from the Blaze Knight, almost knocking the White Wolf back onto it's back but Cael was able to keep the White Wolf's feet beneath it as the Fina attempted to skewer it's cockpit from behind. Cael put the cockpit shield back down, protecting the wheel and blocking the Fina's attack.

"They're toying with me..." Cael mumbled, driving the White Wolf down another road.

"How're we going to beat this thing?" Alexander asked, firing the Hawk's sniper rifle. Immediately after firing, the Hawk leap from one rooftop to another as a volley of the Dread Queen's missiles destroyed the former.

"Vai and I will keep it occupied. Alex, you circle around and try to hit it from behind," Alessia instructed, "We won't be able to take it down right away but we can try to pick off some of it's weapons,"

The Dread Queen fired more missiles at the Hawk but the Black Iron shot many of them down with it's autocannons. The Dread Queen retaliated, firing it's gatlinguns at the Black Iron and preparing to fire it's cannons. The Blackbird quickly fired several smoke missiles, allowing the Black Iron to escape without being seen but the Dread Queen targeted the Blackbird with a barrage of missiles.

The Blaze Knight had over taken the White Wolf again and the Fina stood behind the White Wolf. Cael prepared himself the Dread Scythe ACs's attack but was surprised as the Blaze Knight jammed it's rifle into a building, leaving it there. The Blaze Knight then drew it's sword, holding it ready. Cael turned the White Wolf around after hearing the Fina behind him and was surprised to see that the golden reverse joint had jumped backwards, away from the White Wolf. Hearing movement behind him, Cael turned the White Wolf towards the Blaze Knight as it slashed it's sword, slashing the White Wolf's shields.

The White Wolf moved backwards, firing it's machineguns at the Blaze Knight which blocked the bullets with it's own shield shield. Cael quickly had the White Wolf draw it's swords once he had put some distance between the White Wolf and Blaze Knight. The two ACs dashed at each other and clashed swords.

Noland saw the White Wolf and Blaze Knight, fighting just ahead down the street. He pressed on the Black Wolf's pedals to speed it up and as he approached the fight, the Fina burst through the wall of the building, slashing at the Black Wolf with it's sickle swords. Noland reacted quickly, dodging the Fina's flurry of attacks.

The Fina slashed at the Black Wolf but the Black Wolf blocked the Fina's blade with it's shield then fired the new rifle it carried in it's hand. The Fina jumped backwards, dodging the attack but Noland immediately fired the Black Wolf's shoulder mounted missiles. The Fina landed on the roof of the building that it had burst out of but quickly jumped again, dodging the Black Wolf's missiles as the hit the building.

"Twenty minutes down," Lewis said, putting his phone back in his pocket.

"I assume that the timer was set to an hour because it's the finals," Dr. Vinheim said.

"Yeah," Lewis confirmed, "About ten years ago, the comission figured it'd be better if the finals were fought 'til the last AC standin',"

The Hawk fired it's rifle at the Dread Queen's missile launchers, puncturing one of them but the missile launcher still functioned. The Dread Queen fired another volley of missiles, targeting the Black Iron as it took cover inside a building. The Blackbird fired the rifle it carried in it's hand, aiming at the Dread Queen's anti-air turrets. The shot connected, damaging one of the turrets but not entirely disabling it.

Alessia gasped as the Dread Queen began moving forward, heading towards her. "Guys..." she called out.

The Dread Queen moved through the streets, ripping through the walls of buildings as it did. The Black Iron, Blackbird and the Hawk all opened fire on the large machine but even their combined power did little to harm it as it picked up speed. Realizing that she was in it's path, Alessia drove the Blackbird away from the Dread Queen but the Dread Queen began firing it's weapons wildly, damaging many buildings, causing some to collapse entirely as it rampaged through the streets.

The White Wolf skid to a stop, it's cockpit shield hitting the back of the Black Wolf's cockpit. The Blaze Knight stood still in front of the White Wolf while the Fina jumped down from a building and stood before the Black Wolf. "How're you holdin' up?" Noland asked, shaking and flexing his hand.

"Doin' better than you," Cael said. Noland laughed but stopped gradually as he put his hand back onto the control stick.

"I can't take this guy by myself," Noland sighed, glancing at the onscreen damage report. The left side of the Black Wolf's head and Core were damaged. The Fina's sickle sword had cut into both parts, leaving one long continuous scar.

"Can you dance?" Cael asked.

"Probably not," Noland joked, "Which pattern?"

"We'll just wing it," Cael said as the Blaze Knight fired the autocannon built into it's arm.

"Sounds about right," Noland smirked.

The White Wolf blocked the Blaze Knight's autocannon rounds while the Black Wolf backed around the White Wolf, turning to face the Blaze Knight once it was in front. At the same time, the Fina had bounded towards the two ACs and the White Wolf had turned to face it, shotgun in hand. The Black Wolf fired it's rifle at the Blaze Knight while the White Wolf fired it's shotgun at the Fina. Both the Black Raven ACs missed their marks as the two Dread Scythe ACs quickly dodged the attacks.

The Black Wolf dashed towards the Blaze Knight, firing it's rifle which the Blaze Knight blocked with it's shield and the White Wolf drove backwards, following the Black Wolf while firing it's machineguns at the Fina. The Black Wolf stopped abruptly, switching to and firing it's back mounted rifle while the White Wolf backed around the Black Wolf. The Blaze Knight dodged the Black Wolf's attack as it dashed in but as it brought down it's sword down, it's attack was stopped by a shotgun, belonging to the White Wolf, which was now in front of the Black Wolf.

The Black Wolf went to the left, the Blaze Knight's right, and fired it's back mounted rifle at the Blaze Knight's shieldless flank. The Blaze Knight backed away, barely dodging the Black Wolf's attacks but was immediately met with shotgun fire from the White Wolf. The two moved forward, dashing towards the Blaze Knight as the Fina lunged at the two from behind with it's blades. The Fina missed and had to leap backwards to avoid the adhesive mines the Black Wolf had left in it's wake.

The Blackbird slid down into the floodway and shortly after, the Dread Queen followed it in, continuing it's rampage. The Dread Queen chased the Blackbird through the floodway for half a minute before the Blackbird found a ramp leading out and went up it, avoiding a barrage of missiles along with gatlingun bullets. "At the very least, she'll have to abandon the ASP to get out," Alessia sighed.

"So it worked?" Vai asked as she approached.

"Yeah," Alessia sighed, "but get ready for-"

"It didn't work...!" Alexander shouted. The Hawk was on the roof of a building looking down into the floodway and watched as the Dread Queen drove straight up the inclines of the floodway to escape it. Alexander fired the Hawk's sniper rifle and jumped off the building afterwards as the Dread Queen opened fire on the building, ripping it to pieces.

"That didn't work. Now what?" Vai asked.

"It can't have much ammo left," Alessia said, "Get it to waste it's ammo then we'll get in close to take it out,"

The Blaze Knight spun, blocking the Black Wolf's rifle rounds with it's shield and slashing at the White Wolf once it had turned back around. It's blade slashed across the White Wolf's shields then it backed away, dodging another of the Black Wolf's rifle rounds while firing it's autocannon at the White Wolf's shields. As they prepared to press the attack, Cael and Noland were surprised when the Fina landed in between the two of them.

Cael tried to turn the White Wolf to face the golden reverse joint but the Fina kicked the White Wolf away as it lunged at the Black Wolf with it's sickle blades. Noland blocked the Fina's attack with the Black Wolf's shield, then quickly jettisoned the shield and moved backwards while firing the machinegun built into it's arm to avoid the Fina's second sickle sword's downward stroke. The Fina again lunged at the Black Wolf, whose back was now against a building, as the Black Wolf tried switching to it's back mounted rifle but the Fina's horizontal slash cut the rifle's barrel. Noland quickly circled around the Fina as it stabbed at what would have been the Black Wolf's core.

The Black Wolf drove backwards firing it's machingun at the Fina. Cael aimed the White Wolf's shotgun at the Fina as the Fina turned towards the Black Wolf but before he could take the shot, the White Wolf's shotgun was destroyed after being pelted from the Blaze Knight's autocannon rounds. Cael didn't hesitate, switching to the White Wolf's built in machinguns and firing on the now approaching Blaze Knight. Meanwhile, the Fina lunged towards the Black Wolf, chasing after it.

"This guy's annoying," Noland mumbled, growing restless.


	73. Chapter 25-3

**Act III**

 **Chapter 25-3**

 **Black Raven**

Week 23 - Day 7

Grand Finals

Black Raven vs Dread Scythe

The Blackbird skid to a stop to avoid crashing into the Black Wolf behind it. Alessia took deep breathes, trying to slow her breathing. "Still not finished?" Noland asked sarcastically.

"Are you?" Alessia asked, tired. "Where's Cael?"

"Don't know," Noland answered, "They managed to split us up,"

"Cael...?" Alessia called.

"I'm fine," Cael groaned as the White Wolf's shields were pelted by the Blaze Knight's autocannon rounds. The Blaze Knight dashed in and slashed at the White Wolf while the White Wolf blocked the Blaze Knight's sword with it's own, then fired it's sword arm's machinegun at point blank. The Blaze Knight evaded the attack by making use of it's rocket boosters to create distance and Cael chased after it.

"Alessia, Alex, Vai, you guys take the Fina and I'll handle the Dark Queen," Noland said.

"What?" Alessia exclaimed, "You can't take that thing alone!"

"I can't take Laurence alone," Noland said, "At the rate it's going, I'll be lucky just to take him down with me,"

"You can't be serious..." Alexander said.

"He may be right..." Lewis sighed, "Goin' one for one puts us at a disadvantage in this situation, despite the numbers advantage,"

"You guys were planning to get her to waste her ammo right? I can manage not to get hit for a while and three on one will probably be enough to take Laurence," Noland said.

"Alright," Alessia sighed after thinking, "Vai, Alex, we're attacking the Fina, leave the Dark Queen to Nol,"

"No chance in hell," Vai said. The Black Iron dodged the Dread Queens gatlingun fire as the Dread Queen smashed through buildings while it advanced.

"What?" Alessia asked.

"This is the bitch that almost killed me," Vai said, "I'm getting payback,"

"We don't have time for this," Noland said, dashing towards the Dread Queen that was fighting far down the street, "Vai and I'll take the Dark Queen,"

The Blackbird dodged the Fina's sickle swords as it slashed. Then the Blackbird moved away from the Fina, firing it's rifle at the the golden AC. It shrugged off the hits and lunged at the Blackbird as the Blackbird zigzagged backwards, continuing to fire it's rifle.

The Fina leapt into the air, chasing after the Blackbird but was hit from behind by one of the Hawk's sniper rifle rounds. The Fina intentionally crashed through a building once it had landed, causing both Alessi and Noland to lose sight of it. Alessia deployed the Sky Eye and began searching for the Fina while Alexander had the Hawk leap from rooftop to rooftop to reach the Blackbird.

Both Noland and Vai were breathing quickly, trying to catch their breathe. The Dread Queen had stopped moving but large mechanical clicking could be heard coming from inside the Dread Throne. "Is she out of ammo?" Vai asked, "Or maybe it broke down?"

The mechanical clicking stopped as the Dread Throne's gatlingun arms left the Dark Queen's side and at the same time, the arms that were hidden in the rear came forward. A third pair of arms were also revealed in the front sides of the Dread Throne and switched places with the pair that were now at the Dark Queen's sides. Noland could see the Dark Queen's shield and scythe on the inward facing sides of the third pair of arms as well as several, large empty ammunition belts.

"I think it's out of ammo," Noland said.

The Dread Queen began moving again, charging at the two Black Raven ACs. Vai readied herself, charging the Black Iron towards the Dread Queen while Noland fired the Black Wolf's back mounted rifle and shoulder missiles from a distance, dashing in after he fired several times. The Black Wolf's attacks landed but the Dread Queen, though it suffered damage, was unphased by the attacks as it continued charging, picking up speed. The Dread Throne's arms tried punching the Black Iron once the Black Iron had drawn close but the Black Iron grabbed both arms.

Vai groaned as the Black Iron's cockpit shook violently and the Dread Queen pushed her backwards. "Noland...!" she shouted. On que, the Black Wolf circled around the two machines as they tore through the road while they skid. Noland fired the Black Wolf's mines, attaching them to all sides of the Dread Throne.

The Dread Queen came to a screeching halt along with the Black Iron. Vai then tried moving the Black Iron back but was surprised when she realized she couldn't. The Dread Throne's arms were gripping the Black Iron's hands. Vai smirked as she quickly switched to the single use pile driver built into the autocannon housing in each arm. She drove the stakes forward, destroying the Dread Throne's arms and freeing the Black Iron from the Dread Queen's grasp.

"That's the hard part done," Vai sighed.

"No..." Noland said solemnly as the Dread Queen began moving it's arms despite being coated in adhesive. The arms at the Dark Queen's sides turned so that they faced straight up and two AC arms came out of the Dread Throne, one on each side of the Core. The arms attached to the Dark Queen, making a loud clicking sound, and another loud clicking sound could be heard inside the Dread Throne. The Dark Queen was lifted up out of the Dread Throne so that it now stood atop the throne, next to the Dread Throne arms that held it's weapons.

"This... is the hard part," Noland said as the Dark Queen grabbed it's weapons.

The Hawk fired it's grappling hooks at the Fina as it closed in, missing when the Fina ducked but securing themselves in a building. The Hawk jumped and kicked the Fina away, landing on it's back after however the Fina didn't rest. It charged right back in and lunged at the Hawk. Alexander pulled the Hawk back onto it's feet by retracting the anchored grappling hooks and had it jump over the Fina's blade before it was skewered.

"Alessia..." Alexander called as the Hawk landed but was immediately dodging attacks from the unrelenting Fina.

"There's a problem with the engage sequence," Alessia said, typing on the Blackbird's keypad and cycling through screens trying to figure out what was wrong with the Blackbird. "It's... jammed..."

"Forget it Alessia, focus on the fight," Lewis instructed.

"Of course," Dr. Vinheim said, viewing the schematics of the Blackbird alongside Alessia's data, "We had no idea what that part was. I see it now. It's some sort of manual lock preventing the process,"

"A lock?" Alessia asked, confused.

"We merely replicated and improved the old designs. Whoever designed this must have been aware of the danger associated with the function," Dr. Vinheim explained.

"My dad never put a manual lock in his design," Alessia said after being sent and viewing the Blackbird's data.

"The last person to alter the design was... Oh my," Dr. Vinheim gasped after seeing the name "Lewis Clark" on the design schematics. Dr. Vinheim and Lewis locked eyes for a moment the Dr. Vinheim sighed in defeat.

"I see a way to bypass the lock," Lewis said, "You have to follow my instructions to the letter,"

"Guys... hurry it up," Alexander shouted. The Hawk landed on top of a rooftop after jumping to evade the Fina's attack but the Fina leapt up to the rooftop as well. Alexander tried firing the Hawk's sniper rifle but the Fina was too close. It kicked the Hawk away, knocking it off the rooftop and onto the road below.

The Hawk used it's sniper rifle to block the downward strokes of the Fina's sickle blades but the impact from the clash damaged the Hawk's leg joints. The Fina kicked the Hawk away again, causing it to hit the wall of a building, and then followed up by charging at it. Alexander again used the Hawk's sniper rifle to block the Fina's sickle swords again but gasped when he saw that the swords were beginning to slice through the sniper rifle.

Alexander fired the Hawk's grappling hooks, aiming at the building behind the Fina across the street. With the help of the grappling hooks, he was able to begin pushing back the Fina. A clicking sound could be heard along with Laurence's laughter as the nature of the Fina's extra equipment was revealed. The clicking came from locks on the sides of the two large packs on the sides of the Fina's cockpit. Once the locks had been released, the packs unfolded, revealing two arms that hovered over the Hawk. Surprising Alexander even more were the two blades that sprouted out of the arms, over the miniguns built into the arms, and came down, severing the Hawk's arms.

The Fina reared back it's main arms, preparing to stab into the Hawk with it's sickle swords but was hit by rifle fire from the Blackbird. Before it could turn towards the Blackbird, it was tackled by the Blackbird, knocking it away from the Hawk. The Blackbird itself spun out but the Fina managed to stay standing. Alessia had the Blackbird recover from the spinout and the Blackbird was immediately stabbed by one of the Fina's sickle swords.

"Alex, now!" Alessia shouted.

The Hawk's grappling hooks stabbed into the Fina from behind as the Fina was about to skewer the quadraped. It pulled the Fina back as Alessia again began cycling through the Blackbird's systems. "It worked!" Alessia said excitedly. The Fina had stabbed the locking mechanism in the Blackbird's Core, destroying it and allowing Alessia to engage the Blackbird's flight mode.

The Blackbird's head dettached becoming a drone similar in size to the Sky Eye while the Sky Eye attached to the Blackbird's Core, becoming the Blackbird's new head. The Blackbird's rear legs extended, long enough so that they could rise up and attach to the ports on the sides of the cockpit where the Sky Eye would normally attach to while rested. The rear legs's wheels folded over on top of the legs, revealing a jet engine. The front legs positioned themselve beneath the Core and locked themselves in place.

The Fina crushed one of the Hawk's feet and was about to skewer the Hawk when it was pushed forward at high speed. The Blackbird was pushing the Fina down the street, moving at a blinding speed. It pushed the Fina through one building, then another, and a third before the Blackbird began gaining altitude while letting go of the Fina.

The Fina crashed into a building, collapsing a building on top of the reverse joint. One of it's legs had been badly damaged, one of it's arms disabled and the other had it's sickle sword broken. The Blackbird hovered in the air, taking aim at the Fina's cockpit with it's rifle and firing. The Fina was helpless as it took consecutive hits until it's cockpit was finally compromised, shutting it down.

"That's one down," Alessia said, breathing quickly as she caught her breath.

"Cael's still fightin' off Solomon and Nol and Vai have their hands full with Dusk," Lewis said.

"Alex, is the Hawk still operational?" Alessia asked.

"Yeah, but it's done fighting," Alexander asked.

"Find someplace to hide," Alessia ordered, "Cael? Hang on, I'm coming to help you,"

"There's only twenty minutes left," Lewis informed the pilots.


	74. Chapter 25-4

**Act III**

 **Chapter 25-4**

 **The Brink of Tragedy**

Week 23 - Day 7

Grand Finals

Black Raven vs Dread Scythe

Alessia watched from the Blackbird as the White Wolf and Blaze Knight fought below. She took aim at the Blaze Knight after it and the White Wolf seperated after crossing swords. The Blackbird fired it's rifle but the Blaze Knight dodged the attack, firing it's machinegun at the White Wolf that was dashing towards it.

Meanwhile, the Dark Queen blocked the Black Wolf's rifle rounds with it's shield then used it's grappling hook that was built into the shield. The hook penetrated the Black Wolf's shield and shield arm. Then the Dark Queen began reeling in the Black Wolf, rotating it's shield to switch to the gatlingun built into the other end of the shield and firing as the Black Wolf drew closer. The Black Wolf tried firing it's rifle but the Dark Queen would simply block the shots with it's shield.

The Black Iron charged in, attempting to tackle the Dark Queen but the Dark Queen released the Black Wolf so that it could dodge the heavy weight AC's attack. The Dark Queen's hand began to spin quickly, spinning it's scythe and cut off the the Black Iron's arm from the shoulder joint. The Black Wolf fired several more rifle rounds at the Dark Queen as it attempted to cut into the Black Iron again and the Dark Queen was forced to abandon it's attack to guard against the Black Wolf's.

Vai drove the Black Iron in reverse towards the Dark Queen, engaging the iron maiden. The arms of the iron maiden grabbed the Dark Queen's head, shield, and legs, holding it in place as the middle arms moved into position while they got ready to sever the Dark Queen's Core from it's legs. Before the arms could finish getting into position, the Dark Queen spun it's scythe and used it to cut through the iron maiden's arms.

Free from the Black Iron's grasp, the Dark Queen circled around the heavyweight, it's scythe still spinning, and fired it's grappling hook at the approaching Black Wolf, hitting it in the shield arm's shoulder. The Black Iron tried to attack the Dark Queen from behind but the Dark Queen dashed forward towards the Black Wolf. "Dusk...!" Noland called out, firing the Black Wolf's rifle as the Dark Queen approached.

The Dark Queen blocked the shots and circled around to the Black Wolf's rear. Sensing danger, Noland quickly moved the Black Wolf to the side, barely avoiding the Dark Queen's scythe as it flew past. Noland took aim at the Dark Queen again but Vai's screams immediately caught his attention. He turned to see that the Dark Queen's scythe had hit the Black Iron, slicing deep into the Black Iron's Core.

Noland's eyes widened as the Black Iron shut down. He could see the inside of the Black Iron's cockpit and saw Vai inside, sitting in the cockpit chair. "Vai," he called out, "Vai...!"

No answer.

The Dark Queen's grappling hook was still in the Black Wolf's shoulder and it began reeling the Black Wolf in. "What did you do..." Noland asked mumbling quietly but slowly raising his voice, "What did you do!"

The Black Wolf tackled the Dark Queen, slamming it into a building. Noland jettisoned the shoulder armor, freeing the Black Wolf from the Dark Queen's grappling hook, and dashed over to the disabled Black Iron. "Vai," Noland called, "Vai? She's not answering,"

"I know, I know," Lewis shouted as he typed frantically on the computer, "The inside camera was knocked out! I can't get eyes on her,"

"What happened?" Alessia asked.

"I think Vai's hurt," Noland shouted. He could see Vai in the cockpit with her head bowed and her body still.

The Black Wolf's cockpit shook as it was hit by several gatlingun rounds from behind. Noland turned the Black Wolf around to face the Dark Queen but it had already passed by. The Dark Queen grabbed it's scythe as it slammed into the Black Iron, knocking the disabled AC down and removing it's scythe. The Black Wolf turned to face the Dark Queen again, firing it's machinegun but the Dark Queen blocked the machingun bullets by spinning it's scythe as it closed in.

Three quick buzzes echoed throughout the arena, followed by another three and they continued in succession. The Dark Queen had closed in on the Black Wolf but it's scythe had stopped spinning just before it's blade ripped through the Black Wolf's cockpit. "There will be a brief intermission during the match to ensure the safety of the combatants," a voice echoed throughout the arena, "All combat is to cease immediately until further notice,"

The voice continued to play on repeat, echoing all across the arena. Noland opened the Black Wolf's cockpit, climbing out as Dusk climbed out of the Dark Queen's cockpit. Meanwhile, Cael had removed his helmet and was sweating. The White Wolf had taken damage in several places although no severe damage had been deal. The Blaze Knight on the otherhand, displayed only dents, cuts and scrapes on it's shield. The two bipedals stood across from one another and Cael watched the Blaze Knight closely, waiting for it's cockpit to open before Cael opened his.

The Blackbird landed nearby the White Wolf and Alessia opened her cockpit to climb out as well. She watched as Cael and Solomon stared each other down. Cael was sweating and Alessia could tell that he was fatigued. Solomon was sweating too but not nearly as much as Cael. Alessia was shocked as she noticed the difference between the two bipedal ACs and more shocked at Solomon's grin.

Noland grabbed Dusk by the collar of her pilot suit and slammed her against the wall. The two of them were alone in one of the damaged buildings. Outside, the arena's recovery and medical crews were at work getting Vai out of the Black Iron's cockpit.

"Why?" Noland asked furiously. Noland waited for Dusk to answer but she didn't. She looked up at Noland with her blank and lifeless stare without making a sound.

"Answer me," Noland yelled, pulling and slamming her against the wall again.

"Are you angry?" Dusk asked. Her voice was barely audible and Noland was thrown off by the question.

"Yes..." Noland said, releasing her, "I am,"

The two of them stood looking one another in the eye. The crewmen's shouting and the sound of their equipment were the only sounds that could be heard. "Why," Noland asked, "You could have killed her..."

"I could have," Dusk said coldly. Noland stared into Dusk's eyes and realized what she meant.

"You could have killed her... but you didn't..." Noland said, thinking out loud, "Were you trying to kill her?"

"No,"

"Were you trying to kill me?"

"No,"

"I... I don't understand, Dusk. If no one's making you do this, then why are you trying to hurt us?"

"Because you're in the way..." Dusk said, her voice still flat, her eyes still lifeless but a stream of tears had begun falling from them.

"In the way? What does that mean? In the way of what?" Noland asked, pleading.

"She was nice to me..." Dusk said. Her voice was still flat, and cold but Noland could also hear the sadness in it despite her tone.

"She's fine," Lewis said over a video call. Alessia was using the computer that was in the back of one of the arena's trucks to speak with him. "The scythe cut into her shoulder and she lost some blood but the medics say she'll be fine,"

"That's good to hear," Alessia said, relieved, "I thought it was happening again..."

"How're the two of ya holdin' up?"

"Me and Cael? Yeah. Solomon's... tough,"

"Be careful out there Alessia. Don't underestimate him,"

"I won't," Alessia said.

"Next!" a man yelled.

"Gotta go. Doctor's waiting," Alessia said, turning off the computer.

"You seem tired," Solomon said as he approached Cael. Cael was staring up at the White Wolf but turned his gaze towards Solomon. "I'm impressed. This AC is far better than the last one... though I doubt it can endure anymore,"

Cael turned his attention back to the White Wolf and studied the damage that had been inflicted on it. "You were right," Cael said, surprising Solomon, "I can't beat you,"

"I hope that doesn't discourage you," Solomon said, "I think it'd be a shame if you lost because you gave up,"

"You're going to lose..." Cael said flatly.

"And exactly how will you accomplish that? You just admitted that you can't defeat me,"

"I can't beat you... not alone-"

"Cael!" Alessia called out as she walked towards Cael.

"I see... So you think with her help you can defeat me?" Solomon laughed, "I'll be suspending that belief soon enough,"

Solomon headed to the Blaze Knight as Alessia arrived. She looked at Cael, then to Solomon, then back to Cael. "What was that about," Alessia asked.

"Just told him we'd beat him," Cael answered.

"I'd love to hear how you plan on backing that up," Alessia said sarcastically.

"I'm working on it," Cael grinned.

The crews had cleared out of the city and the pilots were back in the cockpits of their ACs. An announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena, instructing the pilots to prepare to resume the match. The voice began counting down slowly, informing the pilots on how much time they had before they could begin again.

Cael and Alessia watched the Blaze Knight closely as several of it's parts began moving. The second pair of structures beneath Blaze Knight's rocket launchers opened up but Alessia gasped when she saw that they were another pair of rocket boosters that were reversed. The Blaze Knight's shield dettached from the shoulder, lowering itself down so that the magnet on the Blaze Knight's elbow could take hold of it. The shoulders themselves slid open revealing vents. The housing for the machinegun built into it's arm slid open, discarding the ammunition storage device and the two barrels of the machinegun were pulled back with the housing as a third barrel was loaded into the center.

The announcers voice reached the fifteen count and as he did, the Blaze Knight held it's sword arm out, rotating it's hand and turning it's sword upside down as the hilt slid open. A black liquid began to make it's way down through the grooves of the blade and the Blaze Knight returned the sword to it's upright position once the grooves had been filled completely. "Five... four..." the announcer's voice echoed, "three... two..."


	75. Chapter 25-5

**Act III**

 **Chapter 25-5**

 **The Wolf, The Bird, and The Flame**

Week 23 - Day 7

Grand Finals

Black Raven vs Dread Scythe

The Blaze Knight dashed towards the White Wolf with it's rocket boosters propelling it forward. Cael tried to have the White Wolf evade but he realized that the Blaze Knight was too fast so he had the White Wolf's shoulder shields face forward. The blade of the Blaze Knight's sword slammed against the White Wolf's shield and began pushing the White Wolf back.

The Blackbird had hovered in the air and fired it's rifle at the Blaze Knight. The Blaze Knight blocked the attack with it's shield while still pushing the White Wolf back and turned it's arm towards the Blackbird, firing a grenade from the built in grenade launcher. The Blackbird dodged the grenade but it exploded, creating a ball of flames that enveloped the it's left side.

"It's overheating," Alessia gasped as several alarms were triggered, warning Alessia about the Blackbird's rising temperature. Alessia landed the Blackbird on top of a building just as it's jet engines gave out.

"Be careful, Alessia," Lewis cautioned.

"I'm fine," Alessia dismissed.

Cael engaged the Blitz Arms' auxillary boosters, trying to push back against the Blaze Knight and in response the Blaze Knight's reverse rocket boosters activated, quickly pushing it backward and then it circled around to the White Wolf's rear in the same motion. Cael whirled the White Wolf around towards the Blaze Knight and use the momentum to throw the White Wolf on it's back just as the Blaze Knight fired another of it's grenades. The White Wolf drove backwards, away from the Blaze Knight, firing it's machinguns and the Blaze Knight blocked with it's shield as it pursued.

"Alessia," Cael called out.

The Blackbird fired it's rifle at the Blaze Knight from a rooftop but the Blaze Knight evaded the attacks, firing a grenade at the Blackbird. The grenade hit the building engulfing the part it hit in flames while the Blackbird drove off the side of the building, falling to the road below and using it's jet engines to slow it's fall before they stopped functioning again. "The temperature's still to high," Alessia groaned.

The Blaze Knight turned onto the street the Blackbird was on and lunged at it. Just before the Blaze Knight's flaming blade was about to hit the Blackbird, the White Wolf's blade hit the Blaze Knight's, forcing it to hit the building instead. Cael tried to follow up, stabbing at the Blaze Knight with the White Wolf's other sword but the Blaze Knight blocked the stab with it's shield, deflecting the White Wolf's attack while simultaneously firing a grenade. The force of the grenade pushed the White Wolf backwards and Cael took the opportunity to move the White Wolf to the side which gave the Blackbird a clear shot. The Blackbird fired it's rifle but the Blaze Knight blocked the bullet with it's shield.

The White Wolf lunged at the Blaze Knight, trying to stab at it but the Blaze Knight evaded the attack, countering with a stab of it's own. The Blaze Knight's blade found it's mark, stabbing one of the Blitz Arms' shield joints and following through with a slash that seperated the shield from the Blitz Arms along with damaging the support unit. The White Wolf slashed at the Blaze Knight that was on it's flank but the Blaze Knight had already used it's reverse rocket boosters to move back then it dashed towards the Blackbird.

Alessia fired the Blackbird's rifle at the approaching Blaze Knight but it dodged her attack. The Blaze Knight stabbed into the Blackbird's shoulder then quickly pulled it's blade out as it continued to the Blackbird's flank, rotating it's hand and preparing to thrust it's flaming blade down into the Blackbird's cockpit. The White Wolf lunged at the Blaze Knight with it's sword, aiming to pierce the Blaze Knight's cocpkit and before the Blaze Knight's blade penetrated the Blackbird's cockpit, the Blaze Knight rotated it hand again, then stabbed the White Wolf's blade while driving backwards.

Cael groaned as the White Wolf's shield were hit with another grenade fired by the backpedaling Blaze Knight as the White Wolf tried lunging with it's other blade. The Blaze Knight fired a grenade at the Blackbird's cockpit but the White Wolf fired one of it's machineguns at it, causing it to explode before it came close to the Blackbird. Smoke billowed from the White Wolf's arms because it's built in machineguns had overheated and Cael was now dismissing several alarms inside the cockpit. Alessia could move the Blackbird now and moved it behind the White Wolf.

"Can you fly?" Cael asked.

"That's... not happening anytime soon," Alessia said sarcastically, looking at the several temperature warnings on her screen that showed the Blackbird's high temperatures.

The flames from the grenade Cael had shot down had created a wall of flame on the road. They shimmered and shaked as they danced in front of the White Wolf. Cael watched the flames intently, expecting and waiting for the Blaze Knight to burst through.

"We should get out of here," Alessia suggested, "Lure it to someplace more open. He has the advantage here,"

"Can you move?" Cael asked.

"You'd have to cover me,"

"Then you go. I'll keep him busy and bring him to you,"

"Be careful," Alessia said. Driving the Blackbird away.

The wall of flames began to shrink in size and Cael could clearly see the Blaze Knight standing on the other side of them with it's glowing red eyes.

The Black Wolf drifted around the corner and sped down the street as the Dark Queen chased it, firing it's gatlingun at the fleeing Black Wolf. The Black Wolf cut around another corner, avoiding the Dark Queen's grappling hook as it impaled a building and pulling the Dark Queen forward faster. "Alex, I hope you're there already," Noland yelled.

"Not exactly easy getting up inclines right now," Alexander replied, struggling to drive the Hawk up a ramp inside a building.

"She's gonna catch me soon," Noland shouted as the Dark Queen's grappling hook dug into the Black Wolf's remaining shoulder. Noland quickly entered a command into the keypad, jettisoning the arm and continuing to drive the Black Wolf forward. "I'm heading your way,"

The Black Wolf drifted around a corner and drove onto the nearby ramp, up to the highway. The Dark Queen wasn't far behind, firing it's gatlingun. It chased the Black Wolf along the highway, firing and landing almost every one of it's gatlingun's shots. "Alex! Do it!" Noland ordered, yelling as the Black Wolf's cockpit took several more hits from the Dark Queen's gatlingun.

"I'm not there yet," Alexander yelled back, still struggling to get the Hawk up the ramp.

"Damn," Noland sighed. He hit the brakes and turned the Black Wolf around towards the incoming Dark Queen. "You gonna hurt me...?" Noland asked, mumbling under his breath as the Dark Queen's scythe began spinning. The Dark Queen fired it's grappling hook which dug into the Black Wolf's Core and pulled itself forward as the Black Wolf held it's ground.

The Hawk had made it up the ramp using it's grappling hooks to get it the rest of the way. Alexander reeled them in and drove to the side of the building where he could see the Black Wolf on the highway through the large hole in the wall. He fired his grappling hooks through the hole, aiming at the Dark Queen. One of the grappling hooks dug into the Dark Queen's shields which it immediately threw away while the second dug into it's Core.

The Dark Queen was about to use it's still spinning scythe to cut the Hawk's grappling hook but Noland had rushed in, forcing the scythe's blade to cut into the Black Wolf's Core. Alexander drove the Hawk out of the hole in the wall while reeling in it's grappling hook. It fell to the road below, pulling the Dark Queen off of the highway above and Noland drove the Black Wolf off the edge of the highway as well. When the Dark Queen had crashed into the ground, the Black Wolf fell on top of it, crushing the Dark Queen's legs and heavily damaging the Dark Queens Core. The impact caused the Dark Queen's scythe to bury deeper into the Black Wolf's Core, cutting into the cockpit. Both ACs were forcibly shutdown from the damage they took.

"Well, that was quite impressive," Dr. Vinheim said, watching the match.

"If the Hawk's legs weren't broken before, they are now," Alexander joked.

"Good job, Alex," Lewis said, "Alessia, Nol's down but so is Dusk. It's just Solomon now,"

"We're working on it," Alessia said, watching both the White Wolf and the Blaze Knight make their way down the road towards her. She took aim it the Blaze Knight and checked the Blackbird's temperature as she waited for the Blaze Knight to move in range of her rifle. The White Wolf and Blaze Knight clashed swords as they sped down the road, each trying to find an opening in the other.

When the Blaze Knight entered her range, Alessia fired the Blackbird's rifle, missing her shot when the Blaze Knight effortlessly evaded the bullet. The White Wolf dashed in immediately after the Blackbird's bullet missed, trying to land a slash attack with it's sword but the Blaze Knight countered the slash with one of it's own, throwing the White Wolf's blade. The Blaze Knight followed through, rotating it's hand and stabbing at the White Wolf's head. The Blaze Knight's blade cut into the White Wolf's head but the White Wolf had turned away at the last second, preventing it's head from being skewered.

The Blackbird fired another round but the bullet hit the Blaze Knight's shield. The Blaze Knight then aimed it's grenade launcher at the White Wolf that was lunging at it and fired. Cael reacted by turning the White Wolf's shoulder shield forward but was surprised when one of the shields didn't turn all the way. The explosive force from the grenade ripped several pieces of armor off of the White Wolf's exposed side, blowing the malfunctioning shield off while the White Wolf itself began to spin out and crashed into a building head first.

"Cael!" Alessia called out. She drove the Blackbird off the rooftop, engaging it's jet engines to slow the fall and then rushed over towards where the White Wolf had crashed. Alessia quickly took manual control of the Blackbird's head-turned-drone and used it to keep an eye on the Blaze Knight and White Wolf.

The Blaze Knight slowed to a stop and returned to the White Wolf while it leaned through the hole it had created in the wall of the building it had crashed into. The Blaze Knight prepared to striked the White Wolf's cockpit with it's sword but the shield on the back of the cockpit defended against the attack. Several more strikes at the shield failed to break it so the Blaze Knight tried stabbing into the side of the cockpit but the Blitz Arms' remaining shield prevented it while the shieldless side was angled against the wall of the building just enough so that it prevented the Blaze Knight from getting at it.

"Alessia, ya gotta get to 'em," Lewis urged.

The force of the crash had knocked the power out and it had just returned to the White Wolf. The lights in the cockpit turned back on as the White Wolf began to start again and Cael sped through the startup process. The Blaze Knight stored it's sword and then placed it's hand on the White Wolf's cockpit shield. A mechanical click echoed from inside it's forearm and as it began to drive the stake through the shield, the Blackbird's drone crashed straight down into it's arm. The stake missed and was driven straight into the ground.

The Blackbird fired several shots from it's rifle, hitting the Blaze Knight in the head, shoulder, leg and Core. The Blaze Knight backed away and as it did, the White Wolf picked itself up then immediately lunged at the Blaze Knight. The Blaze Knight knocked the White Wolf's sword away with it's shield while grabbing it's sword and then attempted to slash at the White Wolf. The White Wolf's shoulder shield blocked the Blaze Knight's sword and then the White Wolf grabbed the Blaze Knight's head with it's armorless, exposed frame arm.

"Alessia, his wheels," Cael shouted as the Blaze Knight fired a grenade at the White Wolf's arm, destroying the exposed arm while damaging itself and trying to pull back.

The Blackbird had managed to get to the side of the Blaze Knight and was firing it's rifle at the Blaze Knight's legs, specifically targetting it's wheels. The Blaze Knight rotated it's hand and stabbed at the Blackbird's rifle. It missed and the Blackbird continued to move to the Blaze Knight's rear, firing it's rifle while the White Wolf stabbed it's sword into the Blaze Knight's shield, piercing through into it's arm. The Blaze Knight fired it's rocket boosters, pushing the White Wolf back but the Blackbird behind it immediately began targeting those with it's rifle.

The White Wolf pulled it's sword from out of the Blaze Knight's arm, backing away as the Blaze Knight stabbed at the White Wolf. Cael turned it's shoulder shield forward, dettaching it as soon as the Blaze Knight's sword pierced through it and spinning the White Wolf around the sword, slashing at the Blaze Knight's legs as the White Wolf turned. The Blaze Knight quickly tried to turn to face it's opponent's but the Blackbird rammed into it as it did, knocking it on it's back. Cael didn't hesitate and quickly moved on the downed Blaze Knight, stabbing it's Core repeatedly with the White Wolf's sword.

The White Wolf's sword plunged deep into the Blaze Knight's Core. Cael watched as the glow from the Blaze Knight's red eyes faded and the AC made it's dying whirs. Cael let the White Wolf's blade hang over the hole in the Blaze Knight's Core, staring at Solomon inside. Cael's eyes widened and his hands shook as he raised the White Wolf's sword higher.

"Cael, what're you doing?" Alessia screamed as she watched. "Stop!"

Lewis watched, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Dr. Vinheim's eyes were fixed on the screen and sweat had begun to form on his forehead. The arena referee had stepped forward from where he stood in the corner with a horrified look on his face.

"No!" Alessia yelled as the White Wolf plunged it's sword down.


	76. Chapter 26

**Act III**

 **Chapter 26**

 **The New Thorn**

Week 23 - Day 7

Grand Finals

Black Raven vs Dread Scythe

Lewis exhaled, falling back into his chair.

The White Wolf pulled it's sword from out of the Blaze Knight's head and Alessia sighed out of relief. The arena was rumbling as the crowds of fans and spectators there began to cheer. "We... did it," Alessia said. "We did it!"

"Where's the buzzer...?" Cael asked.

"Their fourth," Alessia gasped, "but he's just a substitute. I'd have though they'd surrender with their three best pilots down. And it's three on one so we'd win just by waiting out the timer,"

"Alex...?" Lewis called, "Alex? Alex? The Hawk probably gave out,"

"There's only three minutes left," Alessia said, "Guess they'd rather go down fighting,"

"I guess-" Cael said as he turned the White Wolf around to face the Blackbird and gasping when he saw the pitch black AC behind it. "Behind you!"

"Wha-" Alessia asked but it was too late. The black AC behind the Blackbird had ran it's sword through the Blackbird's Core, hitting it's generator and then pushing the disabled Blackbird away.

The fourth Dread Scythe AC was another middleweight bipedal. It's head was adorned with several spikes and it boasted a single eye camera. It's sword was a bulky weapon with a large rod acting as a spine for the two blades on either side. It's shield was large and circular with several spikes coming out of it. The two minute alarm played in Cael's cockpit and as it did, the bipedal charged at him.

"Official identification calls it the Thorn Knight," Dr. Vinheim said as he showed Lewis the data on it.

"The hell?" Lewis asked, surprised, "That is not the type of AC you give to a rookie substitute,"

Cael blocked the Thorn Knight's sword slash with the White Wolf's sword but the Thorn Knight continued to rush forward, hitting the White Wolf with it's shield. Several warning alarms sounded in the White Wolf's cockpit as Cael drove the White Wolf backwards away from the Thorn Knight just as several extended spikes on it's shield retreated back into the shield. The Thorn Knight lunged at the White Wolf and Cael tried to strike the advancing AC with the White Wolf's sword however his blade met the Thorn Knight's shield instead.

Having successfully deflected the White Wolf's blade, the Thorn Knight continued to ram into the White Wolf, shield first and the spikes in it's shield again pierced the White Wolf in several locations. Cael groaned as the White Wolf fell onto it's back but he didn't hesitate. He drove the White Wolf, on it's back, towards and around the Thorn Knight then picked it up once he was behind his new opponent.

The Thorn Knight quickly turned around and slashed at the back of the now standing White Wolf. It's sword was blocked by the shield on the back of the White Wolf's cockpit that Cael had lowered just in time. Cael rotated the White Wolf's hand and waited for the Thorn Knight to strike the White Wolf's back again. The Thorn Knight raised it's sword and as it did, the two blades seperated from the rod, falling to the ground. It brought the rod down as several spikes erupted from the rod, piercing the White Wolf's cockpit shield.

Cael gasped as the Thorn Knight ripped the shield off of the White Wolf. He tried turned the White Wolf around, trying to stab the Thorn Knight in the process but his sword met the Thorn Knight's shield. The Thorn Knight used it's spiked rod to strike the White Wolf's head, crushing the side that still had armor on it.

Cael used that moment from the Thorn Knight's attack to turn the White Wolf back around and fled from it. The Thorn Knight pursued, throwing it's spiked rod at the White Wolf and hitting the Blitz Arms. Cael quickly dettached the Blitz Arms and the support unit fell to the ground. Cael turned the now shieldless White Wolf back to face the approaching Thorn Knight as it charged in.

The Thorn Knight grabbed and pulled it's sword from the Blitz Arms as it charged towards the White Wolf. Cael let out a battlecry as he charged the White Wolf toward the Thorn Knight. The Thorn Knight did an overhead swing with it's spiked rod, while the White Wolf tried stabbing at the Thorn Knight at an angle that the Thorn Knight's shield couldn't defend it from. The two ACs' attacks both landed as the time ran out and the buzzer echoed through the arena signaling the end of the match.


	77. Chapter 27-1

**Act III**

 **Chapter 27-1**

 **?**

Week 23 - Day 7

The Black Raven hangar was filled with people and more were coming in. The people were loud as they celebrated and mingled on the hangar floor. Several people were taking pictures by the wreckages of the Black Raven ACs and Lewis had to fend off several kids as they attempted to climb some of the ACs. Alessia had finished signing an autograph for a woman and her child when she looked up to see Cael leaning on the catwalk railing alone.

"What's the star of the show doing up here all by himself?" Alessia asked as she leaned on the railing beside Cael. He was silent as he watched the crowds of people on the hangar floor enjoying themselves. "Are you going to talk about...?"

"I wanted to..." Cael said flatly.

"You wanted payback for what he did to you," Alessia said, "No one blames you for wanting revenge,"

"No," Cael shook his head, "I didn't want revenge for what he did to me..."

"You mean..." Alessia gasped.

"That never bothered me... If it was just me, I could've lived with it... I would've never had the surgery," Cael explained, "They tore us apart for years in less than an hour and he lead the charge. I... I couldn't forgive him for what he did to you... all of you. I still can't forgive him,"

"You idiot," Alessia said, lightly punching Cael in the shoulder.

"You knew that guy?" Cael asked Alessia.

"Who? Kirk? I mean... I only met him once or twice before but I never knew his name 'til today," Alessia answered, "Or that he was even a pilot,"

"Where'd you meet him?"

"My grandparent's villa. They were having a party and he was there. In fact... he's the reason I came back here when I did. He was the one who told me about the team being sold," Alessia explained. "And we were on my granddad's jet over here so I guess he knows my granddad... yeah... Why?"

"I think..." Cael said, thinking about his words, "I think he was better than Solomon,"

"Really?" Alessia asked surprised, "I haven't reviewed the match yet. What makes you think he was a better pilot than Solomon?"

"Up until we beat Solomon... I felt off... Every time I fought him, I was angry... in a rush to beat him... but when we did, that went away. It felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders. I know I can beat Solomon now, one one one... but..."

"But...?"

"But Kirk? I feel like I got lucky," Cael said. looking at the White Wolf across from him. It's head had been smashed along with the front of it's Core. The top of it's cockpit sported a large hole and the cockpit chair was clearly visible through the hole.

"The White Wolf's sword pierced the side of his cockpit first," Alessia said, "Don't take away from your win, our win just because it may or may not have been luck. You have a making a bad habit of that. A win is a win,"

"Yeah," Cael said, not taking his eyes off the White Wolf, "you're right,"

The Black Raven hangar was empty except for the ACs, the few people who were leaving and the members of Black Raven who had stayed to clean up the hangar. Once the hangar was cleared of trash and confetti, the Black Raven crew members departed. Cael and Alessia looked down at the empty hangar floor as they leaned on the railings. Noland, Alexander and Vai came to join them while Lewis closed up the hangar doors.

"How's the shoulder?" Alessia asked Vai.

"Hurts like a bitch," Vai said, pulling back her shirt to reveal her bandages.

"For second there, I thought I wouldn't be the only one armed pilot in the league," Noland sighed in false relief as he waved his stub.

"I hear there's a guy with no legs making his way through the european league," Alexander said.

"Yeah, well, one arm is way harder than no legs," Noland said sarcastically.

"Can we all just agree that Noland is the ultimate handicapped pilot?" Vai asked.

"Is that a compliment?" Alessia asked, "From Vai, to Nol?"

"Yeah well, piloting while having no brain takes serious skill," Vai joked.

"Not funny," Noland said while the others laughed.

The five of them silently looked at their ACs as Lewis made his way to the catwalk to join them. "Hell o' a season," Lewis sighed.

"Yep," Alessia said.

"Yep," Noland said.

"Mhm," Alexander agreed.

"So?" Noland asked, "Now what? Where do we go from here?"

Noland's question caught the others by surprise. They all paused, stopping to think about their answers to the question.

"I meant it..." Alexander said, "I wanna be done with piloting. I'm probably gonna go try to get Joe to hire me back. Help him run the Line,"

"My dad's getting out of jail," Vai said, "I'm probably going to take a year or two off... To try to make up for lost time,"

"That's great!" Alessia shouted, hugging Vai.

"Lewis, what about you?" Noland asked.

"Hmm," Lewis said, scratching his head, "Probably buy a few beers, hide 'em from Alessia, plan my retirement,"

"Oh, I'll find them... and I'm throwing them out," Alessia said angrily.

"Not where I'm hidin' 'em this time ya won't," Lewis joked, "But seriously. I'm only here for y'all. Don't got enough endurance to train up another litter o' runts,"

"What about you, Noland?" Alexander asked.

"Me?" Noland said surprised, "I hadn't thought about it really... Skip. Cael?"

"Same," Cael said quickly.

"He's gonna be hard at work over the off season," Alessia laughed, "He has to work off his debt to Dr. Vinheim,"

"And what about you?" Noland asked Alessia. Alessia looked nervously to Lewis who nodded his head.

"There's... something I need to tell you guys..." Alessia sighed. Her teammates stood up, looking at her, ready to listen to what Alessia was about to tell them. "So... you know when you asked me about how we got the money to get to the arena in France?"

"Yeah, you never explained that," Noland said

"Some of our new sponsors paid for the trip," Alessia explained.

"New sponsor?" Noland asked.

"Why keep them a secret?" Alexander asked.

"Because they're PMC and weapons companies, "Mr. Cunningham helped negotiate a deal and... well..."

"Well... what?" Vai asked after Lewis placed his hand on Alessia's shoulder.

"That ties in with the next thing I want to tell you," Alessia sighed, "I... I'm-"


	78. Chapter 27-2

**Act III**

 **Chapter 27-2**

 **?**

Week 24 - Day 6

"-officially disbanding team Black Raven," Alessia said through the podium's microphone. The members of the press went into an uproar, yelling and shouting their questions as they tried to get Alessia to answer them. Alessia looked to Lewis who stood nearby off to the side and he nodded to reassure her. She waited for the clamor to die down before she continued her speech.

"My mother, father and Coach Clark started this team together," Alessia said, "I do not make this decision lightly. Over the past week, I've spoken to the pilots and with the engineering crew... As you all know, our crew this season was comprised of dozens of laid off workers from the Line and without them, we would never have gotten as far as we did. With business returning to the Line, many of our crew will be returning there. Those that don't now have professional experience working on ACs and will no doubt be valuable assets to anyone who hires them-"

"Why're you disbanding the team though?" a reporter asked, shouting from amongst the crowd.

"There a many reasons I'm disbanding. As I've said, the team was started by my parents and Coach Clark and I've spoken with my pilots and crew and we've decided that it would be best to keep the team a family venture. That's the main reason for my decision but there are many other reasons-"

"Like?" another reporter blurted out, causing everyone in the hangar to chuckle a bit.

"Several of our members have ongoing personal issues that need to be resolved, including myself. One of my personal issues is that... well... owning and managing a team is extremely stressful and I could do without that kind of stress for a while," Alessia said, laughing at the end along with the crowd.

"Were you serious about it?" Noland asked Alessia. The two of them were in the hangar office looking down at the now empty hangar floor. Lewis and Cael were closing up the doors as the last of the reporters left.

"Yeah," Alessia answered.

"Then count me in too," Noland said, surprising Alessia.

"Are you serious?"

"I'm no good outside an AC. I talked to my mom about it..."

"What did she say?"

"She'd rather have me doing that than fighting in illegal MT fights,"

"And you?"

"Well, you're better company than Raza,"

"Yep," Alessia laughed, "How is he? Maybe you could convince him to give up his dastardly ways and help us out?"

"Nah, I doubt he'd help or be of any help," Noland joked.

"You don't know that for sure,"

"Nah I do..." Noland said, sniffling, "He... uh... He was found dead a few weeks ago,"

"Nol... I'm so sorry... I didn't-"

"You're fine... It was gonna happen sooner or later. Him and a bunch of his guys were shot to death in a house somewhere in Pennsylvania... If I didn't have you guys, I probably would've been with him over there..."

"Right place, right time..." Alessia sighed. "If you're gonna be in on this, we should probably tell him at the meeting..."

"Do I really have to be there?" Noland asked.

"Yes," Alessia said, punching him in the shoulder lightly.

"You sure?" Noland asked.

"I'm sure," Alessia said with confidence as she stood on the other end of the conference table with Lewis and Noland standing behind her. "Also, I'd like to have Noland and Lewis with me,"

"You can bring in whoever you want," Cunningham said, giving Eliza a large sealed envelope, "Mr. North would have to undergo the same training as you though. Given his age, I'll make an exception for Mr. Clark,"

"Congratulations," Eliza said, walking over to Alessia and giving her the envelope.

"What is this?" Alessia asked, confused.

"May I ask what promted you to make this decision? Was it the attack or-" Cunningham asked.

"It was the attack," Alessia confirmed, "I researched your history, Mr. Cunningham. You once said in your arguments in favor of weaponized ACs that ACs would wind up as weapons in the hands of bad people regardless of what good people decide. When I was in Spain, MTs were fighting and innocent people died... You were right. And before my father died, I think he also began to realize that what you said was-is true,"

"I see... Open the envelope," Cunningham said, "Also, I'm going to have Eliza and the New Suns work with you on that,"

Alessia opened the envelope and pulled out the folder inside. She was shocked when she read the words on the front of the folder, mouthing them out silently. "What is-" Alessia asked.

"After you complete your training, I'll be making you the head of our AC division as a commander once it's been organised. You'll have free reign to pick and recruit whoever you want, although I will be requiring you to train other soldiers as pilots in the meantime. That folder contains everything you'll need to know and study in order to meet the reuirements as a division head here at the Ark,"

"The... name..." Alessia said in awe.

"Don't like it?" Cunningham asked.

"N-n-no-I mean... I like it," Alessia stammered.

"What about it?" Noland asked, peering over Alessia's shoulder.

"It's called," Alessia said, "The Black Raven Initiative,"


	79. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

 **Fragmented Truth**

Week Unknown - Day Unknown

Solomon stood still with Dusk to his left and Laurence to his right. They were in a room filled with shelves of books and the polished wooden walls matched the brown color of the shelves. A long table sat on the far side of the room and the fire in the fire place across the room from the three Dread Scythe pilots gave off a heat that could be felt in any part of the room. A man stood in front of the fire place, reading a small book. He was an old fellow in a black suit, and all of his hair was gray.

The door by Laurence opened and a man with black hair wearing a black vest with a white dress shirt entered. The man and Solomon locked eyes for a moment as he walked by and came to stand beside Dusk in the line. "You're late, Mr. Thorne" the old man said.

"I have no excuse," Kirk said.

"You failed," the old man said, "All of you,"

The four Dread Scythe pilots said nothing as the old man walked slowly towards the bookshelf and placed the book he had been reading in an empty gap between two other book. "You can't rally people to a cause if you're not the best," the man said, "That was your assignment. To simply win in a bunch of play fights,"

"Sir-" Solomon began but the man raised his hand, signaling Solomon to be quiet.

"It's unfortunate that this has happened now of all times. Thing have changed and we're out of time," the old man sighed, "Mr. Burnes, Mr. Carim, Ms. Lunam, I'm changing your assignements. The three of you will be heading to Russia. You're dismissed,"

Solomon, Laurence and Dusk exited the room through the door Kirk had entered through. Kirk stood still, glancing at the others and saw that tears had formed in Dusk's eyes as she left. "And me, Sir?" Kirk asked.

"Your assignment will be different," the old man said.

"And what of my wife?" Kirk asked.

"As long as you work for me, I will continue to cover her expenses... but... keeping people in comas alive for extended periods of time is costly, Mr. Thorne... You were supposed to buy Black Raven, not inform a potential buyer and then you went and lost to them... Anymore failures, and I'm not sure if keeping your wife alive will be worth your work... You're dismissed,"

Kirk nodded and began to leave the room, stopping when he had opened the door. "What will you do about her?" Kirk asked, "I'm sure we'll cross paths with her again. With all of them..."

"You worry about your wife, Kirk. I'll worry about my daughter,"


	80. Chapter FF0

**Chapter FF0**

 **Future Fragment 0**

Week Unknown - Day Unknown

"Whoa," the first man said.

"What is it?" the second man asked.

"Hold up," the third ordered.

The three men were underground in old facility, sorting through ancient debris. The facility was filled with ancient technology from a time long ago and the three men had managed to find a working computer from that ancient, forgotten time. The third man was doing his best to navigate through the flickering screens of the computer while his associates continued to dig through the other debris.

"I think I found something," the second man shouted as he cleared away the dust from an ancient piece of metal. The first man joined him and together they examined the find.

"Nas?" the first man asked, reading the word on the metal.

"No, the metal's eroded. It was probably apart of a bigger word," the second man corrected, "N, A, something, S, or something something, N, A, something S.

"Navigation System?" the first man guessed.

"Not enough space between the A and the S," the second corrected.

"Nations?" the first man guessed again.

"Probably. There were groups that had that in their names. League of Nations was the oldest I believe," the second man said.

"That old? Sound's like it'd be worth a lot. Sell it to some ancient world antique fanatic," the first man added.

"Navis," the third man yelled. He surprised his other two associates.

"What?" the first man asked.

"Navis. It's a word from an ancient language, from a time predating the old world," the third man explained, "Latin. Navis. It means ship in their language,"

"Like a transport?" the second man asked.

"Who cares," the first man dismissed, "Let's-"

"Wait," the second man interrupted, "How do you know? Did you actually find something on that relic of a computer?"

"Yes," the third man said as he finished downloading the contents of the ancient computer onto his own device.

"What is it? What'd you find?" the second man asked.

"Guys... this isn't just some old world junk..." the third man explained.

The third man went over to his associates and showed them the data he retrieved. He projected a hologram from his device and enlarged it, showing his associates many different screens with all sorts of things displayed on them. The three marveled at what they were seeing as they examined each screen being presented to them.

"These are old world ACs," the second man said as he examined a screen that displayed a white AC fighting against a black AC.

"Ridiculous," the first man said, annoyed, "they didn't have ACs back then. And look at these things. They're flying in the air, far above any height that any AC today can. You expect me to believe guys hundred of years ago are more advanced than we are now?"

"I guess you're right," the second man said, "Could just be a movie or a game,"

"This isn't a movie or a game," the third man said scoldingly as he showed them a screen of blueprints. His associates were shocked as they examined one schematic after another. "This is how we're going to compete against the Corporations,"


End file.
